Thicker than Rain
by Wolfborg007
Summary: Roy Mustang has all sorts of problems... However, no matter how many problems Scar or Ed cause for him, there's always one bigger problem that comes his way... family. *Royai*
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own FMA… only Arturo.

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 1: Prologue**_

"_The most important thing for us, is to save lives."_

_~ Rick Perry_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Flashback))

Tears filled his eyes as he carried the boy. The child's young face was contorted as fever consumed his tiny body. He writhed in agony, blindly reaching for his older guardian.

"Please help him!" the older boy yelled, looking around fervently, "PLEASE! He's _really_ sick!"

He looked around, wide-eyed, as he ran down the street. The lights that surrounded them were dim as it rained, soaking both of them; chilling them both inside and out.

With a sharp turn of his head, he flung soaked hair out of his determined eyes as his sprint brought him to a local tavern…. It was the only window that was lit, and he didn't know where else to go.

Unable to let go of the younger boy, the pre-teen kicked at the door.

"HEY! OPEN UP!"

A husky woman with ornate jewelry opened the door, looking irritated at first, but then confused.

"What's this?" she asked.

Two young boys were the _last _thing she had been expecting when she opened the door.

"Please!" the pre-teen pleaded again, "He's really sick. He needs help. Don't worry about me… Just help him!"

Weakly, the older boy, consumed by his own sickness, slumped against the railing of the stoop, "Please…"

The woman took the younger child from the elder's arms and cradled him delicately. Her eyes widened; the boy was very hot to the touch.

With her free hand, she nudged the older boy into the tavern.

"Come on, honey… we need to take care of this fever…"

As soon as he got inside, the older boy's eyes spotted the fireplace and he instantly went to huddle beside it.

He shivered terribly, rubbing his arms and rocking back and forth.

The woman brought the younger of the two boys into a back room, taking care to lower the boy's rapidly increasing body temperature.

The preteen spotted this and reluctantly got up from his spot by the fireplace. He staggered into the back room, leaning on the doorframe.

"Wh-where is he?" the elder questioned, "What are you doing?"

The woman was dabbing the boy's forehead, arms and legs with alcohol; the pungent fumes permeating through the room.

"It's for the fever, boy." She said, her voice firm, "Now go sit back down by the fireplace before you hurt yourself, or break one of my barstools."

The pre-teen weakly shook his head, not wanting to leave the child's side.

The woman just sighed, shaking her head.

"Fine… do what you want." she said, "But he'll be fine, he's just tired."

The elder nodded, looking exhausted. His grip on the door frame slid down steadily as the boy's eyelids fought to stay open... his head bobbing up and down.

She picked up the younger boy and laid him down on a nearby couch, pulling a blanket over his small frame and sticking a pillow under his head.

The husky woman than made her way over to the other boy and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen boy, your brother is fine…" she said "Just get some sleep; you're trying to be strong, but you're going to get yourself into trouble. Stop being stupid and get some sleep."

The elder's head bobbed again, his exhaustion catching up with him.

"Thank you, ma'am…" he said weakly.

She smirked, "Call me Madame," she said, "Madame Christmas…"

The boy nodded, and then staggered over to the couch where the younger boy lay and collapsed at the foot of it, his arm slumped over the seat.

That's where he fell asleep.

She decided not to move him, but rather went outside to light a cigarette. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to them, but it wasn't important…

All that mattered was that they _needed _her help and she'd take care of them as best as she could… after all, she had always been a woman looking out for any new _adventures_.


	2. An Unexpected Visitor

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the wonder that is FMA... I only own Arturo, my OC.

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 2: An Unexpected Visitor**_

"_Life brings many unexpected obstacles. It's how you deal with them that make you the kind of person you are."_

~O~O~O~O~O~

Roy sat asleep at his desk. His arms were folded comfortably over his chest and he used a rather large, heaping stack of unfinished paperwork as a footrest.

Hawkeye had the day off, and all seemed to be running smoothly.

His subordinates were all at their posts, leaving him free to flirt on the phone all he wanted... if he chose to, of course.

Oh yes... life for Colonel Roy Mustang was _very_ good...

He gave a lion-like stretch and yawn, and his eyes lazily drifted to the doorway as slight movement caught his eyes. The familiar face of his Lieutenant peeking through the crack of the door startled him.

"Sir... do I _really_ have to keep tabs on you constantly?" she asked, as she eyed his 'foot rest,' "Obviously, you haven't finished it... _have you?_"

Roy fixed his position, returning his boots to their proper place on the floor and sat up straight.

"Well... I was distracted." He admitted, giving her a sheepish smile, "You can understand that, can't you?"

He looked up at her hopefully... but Hawkeye's face never faltered.

"No Sir, I don't _get _distracted. You know that." she replied firmly, "And _you_ shouldn't either; how will you reach your goals if you put off even _minor_ tasks such as paperwork?"

The Colonel stood and sighed.

"Now please, Sir, get back to work... It's starting to pile up." Hawkeye continued firmly.

She pushed him back into his chair with her gaze, and he gave another sigh, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly.

He stared back at his desk, stifling a yawn.

As Hawkeye stood over him, he desperately scanned his desk for a place to start.

From bills, to subordinate requests, to sick day applications... they all covered his desk in organized piles... but one stood out.

A yellow envelope sat on top of one of the piles... where his boots had been.

He reached for it, and his eyes widened as he spotted a familiar name printed on the document.

Under the stern gaze of his Lieutenant, he read it.

"_From the Office of Lieutenant General Arturo Ligue,"_ it started.

Roy nearly groaned with agony.

"Well, who is it from?" Hawkeye inquired.

Opening the envelope, Roy kept reading.

_Hey Little Roy! I just wanted to tell you that I'm popping to check on how you're running East Headquarters! Yeah, that's right! I'm coming for a visit! You better be excited to see me, and have cake! Anyway, I'll see you in a week!_

_Your cousin and Superior Officer,_

_Lieutenant General Arturo Ligue_

Roy fell back off his chair, nearly hyperventilating.

Hawkeye glanced at him, seeing his marked change of expression at a simple letter.

"Is everything all right, Sir?" she asked, disturbed at her superior's reaction.

"A-A Week?" he yelped, "That BASTARD is coming... in a WEEK? How could this _happen_?"

"Who's coming in a week, sir?" She asked, growing impatient with his over-reactions.

"My cousi-... The Lieutenant General..." Roy admitted, his face devoid of all color.

"Arturo?" Hawkeye asked, her interested suddenly peaked.

Roy scrambled to his feet, eyeing her suspiciously.

"H-how do _you_ know Arturo?" he questioned.

His expression showed both a fierce irritation and a fear to hear her answer.

"H-he's just an old friend..." Hawkeye responded, suddenly looking extremely uncomfortable, "Besides, I met him the last time he came to do an inspection..."

Seeing her unease, Mustang decided not to push the topic any further. He didn't like seeing the usually stern Lieutenant uneasy and nervous... Something about it disturbed him, but he nodded in satisfaction to her answer.

"Um... okay..." he responded, fishing desperately through his mind for something to say, "I wonder what he's going to say... God... how in all of Amnestris could this happen?"

~O~O~O~O~O~

Roy Mustang didn't sleep well that night... he stared at the ceiling of his apartment, his thoughts lingering in the past.

He _hated_ when his cousin came down from the North. It was totally unnecessary.

The bastard knew full well that he could do his job... What was the reason _this_ time?

Was it for money or was it actually for a break from the harsh conditions at Northern HQ?

The Colonel's mind was buzzing with possibilities as he pondered his cousin's true intentions. Something just didn't seem right about it.

"Hawkeye would probably say that I was just being paranoid..." he thought to himself with an amused chuckle.

Even _thinking_ about the Lieutenant helped to calm him as he gathered his thoughts.

"Okay... I have a week... I can handle this... I just need to prepare myself mentally for his visit... I'll be fine and he'll be gone before I know it..."

He repeated this over and over to himself as his eyelids finally started to grow heavy and he fell asleep.

~O~O~O~O~O~

The next morning, Roy Mustang entered the office looking rather disheveled, unshaven and wrinkled...

But despite his shaken appearance, his flaming eyes showed that he was nothing less than irritated.

Hawkeye watched him with disapproval as he staggered in.

"Sir, are you feeling well?" she asked, going over to him.

Hints of concern lined her delicate features as Roy heaved a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant… I just had a long night. I was…_thinking_…" he mumbled as he stifled a yawn.

Arturo's voice echoed in his head,

"_Well, I hope you didn't hurt yourself doing it, Little Roy!"_

"Curse that bastard…" he added.

Hawkeye overlooked his comment and foul language, as she spoke.

"You were thinking about your cousin's visit, weren't you?" she inquired, already predicting what the answer was going to be.

Roy nodded groggily,

"Yeah…" he replied, "But what else can I do?"

It was Hawkeye's turn to sigh.

"Sir… you're over-reacting over this. He's just coming to do a routine check of Headquarters. All of the higher-ups do it. It's just like last time." she explained calmly.

"Lieutenant…_nothing_ is ever _routine_ when it comes to my cousin…" Roy grumbled, "and last time was _hell_…"

Images of him being called the "Little Coach" as he was tied to a chair and a gallon of water was being poured over his head… not to mention the cheering of the gathering crowd…

All of it shot through his mind like a horrible, waking nightmare.

His hands trembled, and he had to clasp them together to even dull the tremors.

"Unless it comes to tormenting me and making my life a living hell hole… he's _never_ routine… he's corrupt like all the others…" he muttered as an afterthought.

"Well Sir… as you try to keep your mind off your cousin's arrival, why don't you start on your paperwork, and I'll go get you some coffee." Hawkeye suggested, "You look terrible."

Roy bobbed his head,

"You're right, Lieutenant…" he said, as he absent-mindedly went to close the door behind him.

As he shut it, he was expecting to hear the click, when something jammed it.

"Hey! What's the matter with this-"

The door pushed him aside, as a man stood in the doorway…

He had green eyes and black hair with white streaks running through it, which divided into three distinct braids: two black and one white in the center of his neck… and that oh-so-familiar smirk.

"Hello, _Little Roy,_" the sarcastic voice greeted, "Long time, no see…"

Roy's face was instantly drained of what little coloration it had.

"B-but… h-how…? Why? I-I thought it was a WEEK!" he stammered dumbly.

The Lieutenant General looked down at him from the few inches that he towered over his cousin.

"It _was _a week…" he said, at first looking puzzled, but his expression slowly changed to amusement and realization, "You were putting off your paperwork again, weren't you?"

Roy's hands instantly clenched into fists, and he let out an animalistic growl that gave a new meaning to the term 'dog of the military'.

"No."

"Well, check the date of the letter." The older man said, eyeing his cousin like a wolf.

Roy nodded, pulling it out of his pocket.

He scrutinized it… every second, he prayed that he had been wrong... but as his cousin said, the letter was dated a week ago.

_God dammit…_

"Didn't I tell you, Little Roy?" The Lieutenant General laughed, "Or do you need a clarification on that too?"

"Well, it's not my fault I… _lost_ it, Arturo…" Roy answered, trying to keep his flaming anger in check.

"So… you're _disorganized_ too, then…" his cousin said, his eyes gleaming with mal-intent.

It was obvious to everyone in the room that he was having _way_ too much fun with this… it was like watching a lion with a mouse in his paws, dangling it by the tail as the small rodent tried to fight feebly back… you only had to wait for the kill.

Roy was at a loss for words,

"No! I run my office just fine! Stop being such an asshole!" he barked.

Arturo laughed again, harder this time.

"You can't talk to your _Superior Officer_ like that, _Colonel_… Remember, I'm a Lieutenant General _and_ a close friend of the Fuehrer." He said, "I could have you court-martialed at the snap of my fingertips."

He gave a demonstration as wisps of blue electricity swirled around his fingertips with an enviously delicate ease.

Several of the female officers that were delivering papers to the office stopped and gave a look that made Havoc's eyes fill with tears at the remembrance of his lost girlfriends.

Roy however, just looked absolutely miserable.

"Fine…_Lieutenant General_…" He said, giving an exaggerated bow of respect.

"Lieutenant General Bastard…"

Arturo smirked,

"_That's_ more like it..." he said with the typical Mustang smirk, crossing his arms over his chest with a distinct satisfaction at the minor victory.

Roy grumbled, turning his back to his cousin.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Why don't you get started with that stupid, routine _check_ of yours?

Hawkeye watched and gave a shake of her head, though he was entertained by the older man's presence.

"I suppose you'll do your paperwork _on time_ _now_, Sir?" she asked.

Roy shot her a glare as Arturo gave another hearty laugh and made his way over to the blonde Lieutenant.

Riza smiled at the familiar face and gave a respectful salute.

"Lieutenant General… I haven't seen you in a long time." she greeted, giving him a tender smile, "How have you been?"

Arturo smirked as he took her hand gently and kissed it like a true gentleman.

"Never better." He answered, his voice trailing off with a slight purr.

It was a move that had won him _dozens_ of Central and Eastern Women… and one specific one from the North a long time ago.

Roy's eyes bulged out of his head and, as everyone in the office looked on, his jaw dropped. A new emotion came over the womanizing Colonel, and it blazed in his ebony eyes.

He glanced between the two of them, practically choking on his own speech.

_Was that a blush on her cheeks? Was that a dancing glint shining in his eyes?_

He knew _exactly_ what was going on, and he didn't like any of it.

Stomping over, he pushed the pair apart.

"Don't you have a _**check**_ to do, Sir?" Roy snarled.

Arturo just waved him off,

"Not now, little Roy… the _grown-ups_ are talking…" he said, turning back to the Lieutenant, "I'm sorry, my dear… what were you saying?"

Roy looked at him with a dropped jaw, and was just a few millimeters from searing the Lieutenant General's head from his body.

Hawkeye noticed immediately, as she always did, and she glanced at Roy, then at Arturo.

"I was just saying… I really think you _should_ get to that check of yours, Sir." She said, "I'll have some time to talk to you later… and we can catch up… but I have work to do myself."

Arturo smiled at her fondly and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Of course, Lieutenant… of course." He answered, as a crimson blush spread over the Lieutenant's cheekbones and the bridge of her nose, but she comfortably returned it and Roy felt light-headed.

"Th-that's it!" he snapped, "Get out of my office!"

He pulled Hawkeye close to him, much to her surprise.

Arturo just looked at him, shocked… but the traces of a smirk were still evident on his face.

"A little _possessive_ are we, Colonel?" The Lieutenant General taunted, "That's not proper behavior for a higher ranking officer in our great military."

Roy rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"_Great military, my ass…"_ he said to himself, _"You and all those other corrupt monsters_…_ well, things will change when I'm in charge…_"

His train of hate was only broken by Hawkeye's steady hand on his shoulder.

"Sir… shouldn't you get the Lieutenant General set up in a temporary office?" she asked.

Mustang chuckled.

_Oh Riza… always keeping me on track…_

"You're right, Lieutenant." He answered with a forced calm, "There's an empty office down the hall… if you'd be so kind as to escort the Lieutenant General…"

He dug through the messy clutter of his desk and pulled out a key, handing it to Hawkeye.

The Lieutenant saluted him obediently, and then looked at Arturo.

"I'll show you to the office, Sir." She said, as Arturo nodded, looking gratefully to Hawkeye.

He then glanced at Roy and gave another smirk,

"Thank-you, Lieutenant… And I'll see you, Little Roy!" he said, "Don't put off your work, okay? It's a good way to get demoted."

"Just…get…out…" Mustang growled, as Arturo opened the door, allowing Hawkeye to step through first.

"Right this way, Lieutenant." He said, smiling fondly at her.

Riza smiled and walked past him.

"Thank you, sir." She said, and the door closed.

Roy slumped in his chair, exhaling deeply, as though he had been holding his breath the entire time.

The Colonel could already tell… it was going to be a long week…

((A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, favorites and alerts, they really inspired me and made my week! So... since you've met my OC, tell me what you think? Love him, hate him? Flames are welcomed! ))


	3. Into the Fire

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA... I only own Arturo... and if you want to count Mr. Momo, go a head. Lol.

_**Thicker Than Rain**_

_**Chapter 3: Into the Fire**_

_"Sacrificing your happiness for the happiness of the one you love, is by far, the truest type of love."_

_~ Unknown_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Flashback))

She watched as the two boys grew up. They were so different, yet it was so apparent that they were related.

"Hey! Let it go! It's mine!"

"Shut up, Roy! I was here first! Stop being such a baby!"

"B-but, Mr. Momo is mine! Stop being such a meanie!"

Another usual day, and another usual argument had broken out in the tavern...except this time... neither of the parties were drunk.

She walked in, shaking her head as she watched the pointless bickering between the two boys.

"Dammit boys, stop making such a ruckus! Arturo, let your cousin have the monkey, please." she said, putting her hands on her broad hips.

The elder of the boys sighed and gave an undignified pout.

"You _always_ take Roy's side..." he grumbled, his small arms over his chest, "It's not fair..."

Arturo stormed up the stairs to the room that he and Roy shared. Instantly, he went to his corner of the room, where a worn desk sat like a hunkered gremlin.

The boy pulled the chair out and plopped down in it. He opened up his books on elementary alchemy and began reading… trying to forget the argument.

He was so focused on his studies, that he didn't hear the footsteps of their adopted mother coming into the room.

She sighed, "It's Roy's monkey, you know..." she said, patting the boy on the shoulder about it.

"Yeah, but he's such a _baby_ about it… Shouldn't he learn to share?" Arturo complained as he turned away from their adoptive mother, "I mean, I only wanted to _see _it!"

"Don't pick on Roy. Arturo, you know what you were doing." She said, "Treat him like he's your younger brother. You have to look after him. He looks up to you."

"I already _did _look after him!" Arturo shot back, "He has to stop being such a little BABY!"

Roy, who had been playing contentedly with the aforementioned stuffed, slightly singed, sock monkey in the corner, clumsily made his way over to the arguing pair.

"I'm not a baby!" Roy protested, a pout lining his young face, "You're the baby, Artie!"

The future Lieutenant General bristled at the nickname, clenching his hands into fists.

"Shut up! Go play with Mr. Momo and get a life!" he snarled, "Stupid baby!"

He then turned to fully face Roy, and leaning forward, he shouted in his cousin's face,

"AND DON'T CALL ME ARTIE!"

The younger boy stood startled for a moment and then burst into tears, still clinging to the monkey.

She glared at Arturo as she hit him in the back of the head. The ten-year-old gave a yelp as he looked up at her with tears in his own eyes.

"FINE! _Be_ that way…" he muttered, making his way out of the tavern, slamming the door behind him.

"She likes Roy better _anyway_…" Arturo muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and making his way down the street.

He wiped his eyes, refusing to shed tears as he wandered the lonely streets that he was all too familiar with. He wasn't kidding when he said that he had been looking after his younger cousin.

Pain filled his eyes and tears burned them.

He remembered the day when it started all too well…

~O~O~O~O~O~

"_Mom? Dad?"_

_His eyes searched through the smoking remnants of the explosion that had gone off. They were only supposed to be having a small party before his parents went off to the Eastern Base again._

_It was only supposed to be his parents, Roy's parents, him and, of course, Roy._

_Someone else had come, but he didn't remember why, and he didn't care._

_Cake… he remembered… there was going to be cake… one his mother had baked… cake that had won awards in countless military cooking competitions… but that wasn't important now._

_He had to find them… to see if they were still alive._

_He searched until he heard a familiar sound… a soft sound that was barely audible underneath the roar of the flames… it was crying._

_Making his way through the thick smoke, he coughed and choked as he followed it like a beacon._

"_ROY? ROY WHERE ARE YOU?" _

_Heat was coming from all directions and foreboding orange and yellow surrounded him._

"_ROY ANSWER ME!" _

_He was growing upset now…truly upset… _

_The crying had started to fade…_

_Squinting, he spotted a small, cowering figure in the near distance: a dark-haired, three-year-old boy with ebony eyes staggering towards the silhouette of his older cousin._

_Arturo's eyes widened and he reached forward, grabbing his cousin's wrist tightly._

"_Come on, Roy… we gotta get out of here!" he demanded harshly._

_The boy hesitated as Arturo tried to pull him._

"_B-bu' wha'…wha' abou' Mr. Momo?" the boy begged, not wanting to leave his best friend behind._

_Arturo stopped and gave a sigh. _

"_Not now, Roy! Come on!" Arturo growled, pulling his cousin's wrist harder._

_Roy sniffled slightly, wiping his eyes._

_Arturo's guilt finally got the best of him and he stopped dragging his cousin._

"_I'll go back for him, okay?" he said, "I promise… we just gotta get outta here first." _

_Little Roy nodded, silent tears still pouring down his face._

"_O-okay, Arturo…"_

_The older boy forced a smile and continued pulling the younger out of the ruined building._

_The creaking of the burning wood sounded overhead, and Arturo rushed towards the front entrance of the building. _

"_Come on… come on…" he thought to himself, as the pair ran, "Just a little bit further…"_

_After several second that felt like forever, they cleared the front door._

_Arturo lugged his cousin forward, putting him a decent distance away from the burning building. _

_Instantly, Arturo remembered his promise to Roy, and he turned to his cousin._

"_Now Roy… stay here..." he said, putting his hands on Roy's shoulders._

_The young ebony-eyed boy nodded._

"_Okay…" he mumbled nervously._

_The older boy ran back into the building, trying to ignore the flames and the falling wood that enclosed him once more._

_Sirens were heard from outside, but Arturo kept going… he had promised Roy after all._

_It surprised him how difficult it was to find his way through his now unfamiliar home, but after struggling through the labyrinth of corridors, he found his cousin's guest room and grabbed the monkey that was lying flopped over on the floor. _

_Arturo coughed as he made his way out of the building once again._

_The first thing he saw was Roy… his eyes glassy with concern and fear, but he brightened only for a second when Arturo handed him the stuffed animal._

_After hugging it tightly to his chest, he looked up at Arturo again. _

"_Where's mommy and daddy?" he asked._

_Arturo gave his cousin a sympathetic look as he swallowed the lump that was developing in his young throat._

"_I-I don't know, Roy…" he stammered, "I really don't know…"_

_Through his distracted eyes, he didn't see what was going on… he was only vaguely aware of the crowds of people that came onto the scene and the firefighters that swarmed the area. _

_Two of them made their way over to the children._

"_Let's get you boys into the truck…" one of them said, putting a hand on Arturo's shoulder._

_The older boy instantly pulled away as though the man's touch had burned him._

_His family was in there and even though he didn't see them in the blazing inferno, he didn't want to leave them._

"_But… my parents! MOM! DAD!" he cried, struggling against the firefighter who was now trying to force him into the truck._

"_Hey! Come on, kid! If they're alive, we'll find them!" the man shouted, "But they're probably dead, so don't be stupid!" _

_Tears poured down Arturo's face as he pulled out of the firefighter's grasp._

"_Come on, Roy!" he said, grasping his cousin's wrist once again and running down the street._

_Roy only followed, tears making their own salty paths down his cheeks._

_The pair ran… they ran towards a future of uncertainty._

_~O~O~O~O~_

_They came to a neighboring city where they stayed as street orphans for several years… _

_Arturo would steal when he could, always making sure his cousin was fed and taken care of. It was a tough life for both of them, but they adapted quickly._

_Arturo watched as his cousin grew up. During those two long years, they were at the brink of reaching true happiness… but it was on that rainy day when Roy got sick that Arturo finally had to go back to the world of the adults… like a stray dog, carrying his younger sibling. _

~O~O~O~O~O~

And that's how they came to the tavern.

Arturo sat down on the stoop with a sigh. He raised his head as he heard footsteps running towards him.

A tingle ran down his spine as he stood up cautiously.

"Wh-who's there?" he demanded as he dug through his pockets, hoping to find something to defend himself with… but he had nothing.

_Drat!_

He felt someone run into him and small arms were wrapped around his waist.

"Arturo!"

The pre-teen looked down to see Roy's smiling face beaming up at him.

"What are you doing here? Madame Christmas better know that you're here…" Arturo warned.

"She does, Arturo." the woman said, following behind the boy, her heels clicking against the cobblestones.

Arturo's expression instantly turned to one of anger and he pulled out of his younger cousin's grasp.

"What do _you_ want?" he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

Madame Christmas gave a sigh, pulling the boy unwillingly into an embrace.

"You're really stupid for running off like that," she said, "But Roy _had _to find you."

Arturo looked down at his younger cousin shocked.

"H-he did?" he asked, not knowing how else to respond.

Roy looked up at him and nodded.

"Yeah…" he said, and then stopped to pause hesitantly.

"You can see Mr. Momo if you really want to…"

Roy handed his cousin the stuffed monkey.

"Here you go…"

Arturo was about to reach out to take the monkey, but he pulled back.

"Nah, you keep it… It's _your _monkey after all…" he said, "I'm too old for toys anyway…_Little Roy_…"

Roy pouted,

"That was mean!" the younger boy huffed, "I'm not a baby!"

Arturo laughed, ruffling his cousin's hair,

"I didn't say that." He said, "I just said that I'm too old for toys… I'm like an old man!"

Roy giggled, "Artie is a grandpa! Artie is a grandpa!" he sang, running circles around his older cousin.

He was still holding the sock monkey.

Madame Christmas only looked on, smirking with amusement.

"All right, boys… let's get back home…" she said, herding the boys down the road.

Roy and Arturo just followed her, as Roy continued singing and giggling with his own self-made entertainment.

When they made their way back to the tavern, the boys got ready for bed.

Roy raced up the stairs with Mr. Momo, and as Arturo was about to follow, he paused.

Turning back to his adoptive mother, he wore a sudden look of serious determination, a look that his cousin would wear in a decade or two.

"What is it, Arturo?" she asked, glancing up at him from her pack of cigarettes.

"I just wanted to tell you that I don't really mind looking after Roy…" he answered, "He'll always be a big baby after all."

The Madame glanced up at the teenager as he walked up the stairs, and she smirked.

He had learned his lesson well…_very well_ indeed.

((A/N: Thanks everyone for the positive reveiws, the faves and reviews! I'm really glad and really suprised that you're enjoying this story! :) ))


	4. A Traumatic Rescue

**Disclaimer:** I only own Arturo… I don't own FMA… Hence it being a fan fiction…

_**Thicker Than Rain**_

_**Chapter 4: A Traumatic Rescue**_

_"__I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."_

_~ Maya Angelou_

~O~O~O~O~O~

Roy entered the office dreading life itself.

The Lieutenant was already there with, who else by her side, but his cousin.

Roy rolled his eyes, walking miserably past them.

Hawkeye followed him with her gaze, and excusing herself, went over to the Colonel's desk.

"There you are, Sir. I was beginning to worry." She said, handing him a meeting invitation. "A messenger sent this from the Fuehrer: it seems that they're having a State Alchemist meeting in a few days."

Arturo came up beside her and nodded, leaning against Roy's desk.

"Yeah, Little Roy… you better _be_ there," he said cockily, "I'll keep an eye out for you…"

Roy grumbled, choosing not to say any more for fear that his cousin would have another mocking, witty remark ready to humiliate him with in front of his subordinates.

He just watched as Arturo (_finally!_)went back to his temporary office down the hall.

The Colonel gave a relieved sigh as he felt a huge weight come off his shoulders. He could've sworn that his cousin's presence had weight and density to it…

His focus than changed as he watched Hawkeye working silently at her desk, tightness evident in her jaw… but it wasn't an agitated tightness: it was more akin to the tightness she had when she was concentrating.

It disturbed him when she was agitated. He always expected her to whip out her gleaming silver pistols and shoot him right through the forehead. God knew she could do it in a heartbeat.

The Colonel shuddered at the thought.

His vagabond of a mind kept drifting, and as he continued thinking about the Lieutenant, a brief smile flashed across his face.

Oh… there was just something about her… Ever since he was eighteen and saw her for the first time… the daughter of his teacher…

She was beautiful. So beautiful, and he couldn't help but fall instantly in-

"Procrastinating again, Roy?"

He winced at his cousin's voice and looked up, pondering over whether roasting a superior officer (who was also a family member) would lead to dire consequences.

"You know, you'll never get promoted that way…" Arturo reminded, his tone obviously mocking. "And I'll be needing a pen…"

_You interrupted my wonderful day dreams because you needed a fucking pen?_

"Shut up. Here's your pen…" Roy said, throwing it like a dart at his cousin's head.

Arturo caught it with the speed of a ninja, smirking the entire time.

"Thanks… though your aim could use a bit of work. Oh, by the way… I was thinking, Lieutenant: would you like to go out with me later… and explore the town? I still haven't gotten a chance to do that yet…" The Lieutenant General said, giving a smirk.

Roy glared at him, his jaw practically dropping to the floor.

Arturo, seeing the shocked expression on his cousin's face, chuckled.

"If you _really _want to tag along, Roy… I guess the Lieutenant and I could let you come." he added.

Hawkeye looked hesitant, constantly glancing back at her commanding officer.

She nodded, knowing that he wasn't going to give in easily.

"I'd love to have the Colonel accompany us." She said in a soft, yet business-minded tone.

Roy's eyes lit up and shone with an unadulterated appreciation for the Lieutenant.

Arturo looked tentative for a moment, but ultimately he flashed his usual grin and nodded.

"_Of course._ We couldn't leave _Little Roy_ to fend for himself. He needs us to watch over him!" the Lieutenant General cooed, ruffling Roy's hair.

The Colonel pulled back as though a dog had bitten him.

"Don't touch me!" he snarled.

Arturo laughed,

"Loosen up, Roy," he teased, purposefully patting his cousin harshly on the back.

Roy winced and nearly fell over.

"WILL YOU STOP IT?"

The Colonel's eyes were blazing now, and Hawkeye noticed it.

She stepped between the two men; her steady hands ready to reach for her guns at any second.

There was a point in the back of her mind that just knew that today couldn't end well…

~O~O~O~O~O~

As they headed into the town, Arturo had put his arm around Hawkeye's shoulders as the two _acquaintances_ caught up cheerfully.

Roy watched them miserably, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his uniform pants… jealousy shooting through him like solar flares.

Arturo looked back over his shoulder,

"Come _on,_ Roy…" Arturo teased, chuckling lightly.

Riza looked back at her Colonel apologetically, but remained at Arturo's side.

"This is _mutiny!_" Roy thought, feeling rather betrayed, "The _bastard _has even turned Riza against me!"

"Don't hurt yourself, Roy, watch where you're going!" He heard his cousin's voice call from ahead.

"Yeah, yeah…" the distracted Colonel muttered as he brought his gaze upward.

He was almost met head on with a telephone pole.

He hated to admit it, but if his cousin hadn't warned him, he would've walked face-first into it.

A light pink tint of embarrassment spread over the bridge of his nose and his cheekbones, he turned his attention back to the pair in front of him.

Arturo was laughing at something she had said, his arm still draped over her elegant shoulders.

The Lieutenant looked concerned, but that didn't prevent the corner of her lips from being curled slightly upward.

The Colonel was far too lost in irritation at his cousin to be overwhelmed by embarrassment.

"Oh, that _reminds _me, Roy…" Arturo added, "I decided to perform my _own _check on you as an officer… and I've had to conclude that your skills at observation are _quite _lacking…"

He laughed once again, and continued walking besides the Lieutenant at his leisurely pace.

It was official: his cousin had a gift for making his life worse.

He could be standing, soaked, in the middle of a rainstorm, being attacked by homunculi and rabid chimeras… and Arturo would find a way to make his life worse.

_Jerk…_

He looked up to see Hawkeye and Arturo farther up the road… _much _farther.

"Come on, slow poke!" Arturo called, even though he didn't pause for a second, or slow down his pace for that matter.

"SHUT UP!" Roy answered as he jogged to catch up with them.

They headed to a bridge to look into the river.

A slight pang of concern ran through the Colonel's mind.

He didn't know how to swim, and his cousin knew full well that this would bother him.

"Come on, _Little Roy_…" Arturo said in a sing-song tone, "Don't be scared of the wittle water…"

The Flame Alchemist glowered at him.

"I'm not afraid! I just don't like being around YOU!" he shot back.

"No need to hide your fear, _Wittle Roy…_" Arturo tormented, "Just watch the fish and the running water with us… _unless_ you don't _want_ to… the Lieutenant and I are just fine on our own…"

He paused to cough, but Roy gave it no thought at all.

Roy visibly hesitated but gathered up his courage and went to join them.

"I just love the sound of running water…" Arturo said, his eyes fixed on Hawkeye, "Up at the Northern Headquarters, _everything _is frozen… the most we have of running water is the sink… but even _that _freezes up sometimes."

Hawkeye listened and laughed politely, though she glanced at the Colonel to see how he was doing.

Her expression softened for a brief second, but she quickly brought herself back to what Arturo was saying.

Roy continued his observations… for every second that passed; he felt his jealous rage deepening further.

Just the thought of beingin his cousin's presence made his _skin crawl_… and it took nearly all of his willpower to keep himself from throttling his superior officer.

He took several steps forward, and before he could do anything… he tripped.

As his feet flew from under him, Hawkeye reached for him, but missed.

"COLONEL!" she shouted, as Arturo steadied her shoulder.

With a splash, Roy fell into the water and tried to keep his head afloat.

He felt the current pulling him down and sideways, as though it wanted to tear him apart.

Hawkeye was about to shed her jacket, but Arturo stopped her.

"I'll get him…" he said, smirking "You just keep dry and get some help in case we need it… Besides, I wouldn't want you to get that beautiful, blonde hair of yours wet…"

The Lieutenant General had left before she could respond. He dove into the river after his younger cousin.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Roy fought the current as hard as he could, but he kept swallowing water and he couldn't remain afloat… he was tired and part of him just wanted to give up and die… His feet were just brushing the bottom of the river when he became semi-aware of a pair of arms that lifted him up and dragged him to shore.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Arturo's eyes widened as he felt Roy's pulse slowing. He wasn't breathing, and he gave another cough.

He tore opened Roy's jacket and shirt and began to push firmly against his cousin's chest at a steady rhythm.

He put his face to Roy's mouth, but there was no breath coming from his lips.

The Lieutenant General gave a sigh, and pressing his mouth to his cousin's, he exhaled.

The unconscious Colonel's chest rose and as he coughed up water, his eyes opened weakly.

As his vision began to clear, the first thing he saw was his cousin's smiling face looking down at him as he wiped his mouth.

"About time you woke up, Sleeping Beauty…" Arturo said, and Roy gave a horrified scream.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Hawkeye heard the scream and gathered the group that she had managed to accumulate.

"Hold on, Sir." she mumbled to herself, "We're almost there…"

When she got to the site, Roy was sitting straight up, clutching the top of his shirt like a modest school girl with his eyes bulging out of his head, aimed directly at the Lieutenant General.

Hawkeye knelt by his side,

"Sir, is everything all right? What happened? I heard a scream…"

She put her jacket over Roy's trembling shoulders, rubbing his back slightly.

To her surprise, the Colonel grabbed onto her, crying into her shoulder.

"Sir… it'll be okay…" she said, comforting him, "Just tell me what happened."

"H-he did this…" Roy said cryptically, pointing a finger at Arturo once he calmed down, "It was _his _fault…"

Riza glared at Arturo, who only shrugged.

"He's delusional." The Lieutenant General stated, "Just let him-"

"Don't you _dare _come up with excuses! Roy hissed, "You made me trip… and… and then…"

Roy's entire body trembled violently as if recalling a particularly awful memory.

"Then he did _what, _Sir?" Hawkeye asked.

"He _violated _me!" The Colonel answered as he went back to crying into Hawkeye's shoulder.

Hawkeye was stunned for a few moments.

"I did CPR…" Arturo answered, coughing again, "I told you he's delusional… He must've swallowed too much river water."

"That was only to save your life, Sir…" Hawkeye said gently, "You should know that, Sir. It's part of basic training…"

"B-b-b-ut that doesn't change anything! He still did it!" Roy shouted hysterically.

Arturo laughed at Roy's expression,

"Calm down…" he chortled, "I just saved your life. And I did it out of the goodness of my heart… after all… there's nothing I care more about than a fellow citizen in need!"

The crowd laughed and applauded Arturo as he stood up.

"Thank-you, thank-you!" he said, "It was nothing, _really_! I just wanted to save my Little cousin from harm!"

Some women in the crowd 'aww-ed' at the seemingly sincere sentiment, but Hawkeye only sighed.

_There was just no changing the man._

Arturo kneeled down by Roy's side, looking as though he was going to embrace the younger man.

"Come here, Roy… it'll be okay…" Arturo said, his eyes shining with crocodile tears.

Roy scooted back, keeping away from the unwanted contact.

"Don't _TOUCH _me… you've already done enough already…" Roy growled like a cornered wolf.

Arturo didn't listen, but rather pulled the Colonel against his chest, stroking his hair like a beloved pet.

"You _must _watch your step, next time, Cousin… I don't know _what _I'd do if I lost you!" Arturo wept dramatically, "You know you can't swim! Besides, that's no way to show off in front of the Lieutenant! You should have found some other way… a _safer _way!"

Roy's face grew crimson and he was suddenly afraid to look up at the Lieutenant for fear of seeing her pistols cocked and aimed between his eyes.

He instead took the opportunity to stare at his cousin in utter disbelief.

"That's…that's _RIDICULOUS!"_ Roy responded, and he felt rather satisfied with himself for finding words at all. "Telling lies, Arturo… That's not a proper thing for one of the military higher-ups to be doing… you should be _ashamed._"

Roy smirked, waiting for his cousin's response with a rare eagerness.

_Let's see what the bastard has for an answer __this __time…_

Arturo stood up silently and Roy thought he had won…but then he saw that _smirk _break on his cousin's face and he knew that he hadn't. In fact, he was _far _from victory.

"Addressing your superior officers like that, Colonel… is no way to get promoted. And _that's _no lie." he answered. "Besides, if you _really _want to make a good comeback, you have to think quicker than that. You failed the section of foreign policy and communication, Roy, on my own evaluation…"

He began coughing again and the women clustered around him.

Roy just looked up, completely stunned.

"Y-you're kidding!" he complained.

Hawkeye only put an arm around him, leading him away.

"Come on, Sir… let's not get you into any more trouble," she said.

Roy was only too glad to oblige as she led him away.

((A/N: Sorry I was so late updating this one... my computer has been glitchy... Anyway, thanks for the reviews, favorites, alerts and words of critiscism! I apprecaite it! ))


	5. Snapshots of a Puppy's Love

**Disclaimer: **Blah, blah, blah… I don't own FMA… only Arturo…*huggles him*

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 5: Snapshots of a Puppy's Love**_

_"__Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

_~ Unknown_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Flashback))

"_Another _date, Arturo?" Roy asked, looking bewildered.

His older cousin smirked, gathering up his coat and stuffing his wallet into the pocket of his slacks.

"Uh-huh!" he answered excitedly, "She's a real cutie too! Y'know, one of those quiet types, but you just _know_ that she's sharp as a tack. And _that's_ not even the best part!"

Roy looked at his cousin blankly,

"What else _is_ there?" he asked, feeling his self-esteem level drop steadily with every word.

"She's _BLONDE_!" Arturo exclaimed, "She doesn't even seem like one… she has this really short hair! It's _so _cute! Actually, she's about your age, Roy… 14 or 15… but that doesn't matter! She's mature for her age!"

Roy gave another roll of his eyes,

"Stop rubbing it in that I'm single!" The 14-year-old snapped, his voice cracking as physical development took its humiliating toll.

Arturo looked at his cousin and laughed.

"Don't worry, Roy… you'll find someone when you grow a bit more and you stop sounding like a dog toy!"

"HEY! I'M NOT THAT SHORT!" Roy yelled, his voice cracking again.

It only made his 17-year-old cousin laugh harder,

"Keep telling yourself that, Roy… I think you're gonna be short forever." He said, "But I have to go. My _date _is waiting for me."

He then breezed out the door, leaving a fuming Roy behind.

"Womanizing bastard…" he thought to himself as he went back to read his cousin's books, a piece of chalk in hand.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((About 1 year later))

Roy glanced in the mirror. His first date…

The news hadn't gone over all that well when he told Arturo, who instantly began showering him with advice and reminders not to "screw up."

"How are you doing in there, Little Roy?" his cousin's voice asked from outside the door.

Roy gave a sigh.

"Almost done!" he answered, running the comb through his hair one more time.

_Okay... Arturo is just kidding… you won't screw up… I mean, it's only your first date… there'll be more after this…right? It's not like you're gonna marry Genevieve or anything…_

"Roy! You're gonna be late!" Arturo's voice rang out.

The future Flame Alchemist ran out of the bathroom, past Madame Christmas who only rolled her eyes, and glanced at Arturo.

"Good luck with Genevieve!" He said, "She's a real looker… not too smart, but she's definitely got looks…"

Roy paused in his tracks to gawk at him.

"You dated _her _too?" he whined.

Arturo only smirked,

"I told you: I'm just _that _good." he said, rubbing his fingernails against the front of his shirt and blowing on them.

Roy could only sputter dumbly as his cousin pushed him out of the tavern.

"_Bye Roy_!" Arturo sang as he closed the door slowly, waiting for it to click.

"I think he'll be _just_ fine…" he said, heading back up the stairs to continue his research.

He poured over the desk, his calculations strewn over the wooden surface.

"What am I missing?" he entreated loudly to the papers in front of him, "I mean, really!"

He gave a sigh, calming himself down. He couldn't do anything with a fiery attitude (like his cousin)… he'd go about this with a clear head…

"Let's see… I've created the transmutation circle with the alchemic symbol for copper in the center. The surrounding circle gathers electrons, similar to a magnet, from my surroundings, which are accumulated in the central symbol. It also allows me to change the charges of the atoms in the area surrounding me at about a mile radius… and I know how to make the electricity travel… but how would I start the entire process? I can't just walk around with a piece of carpet or cloth with me all the time… That'd look stupid… if only I could just have it at my fingertips…"

He trailed off, as his eyes widened, staring at his hands.

"THAT'S IT!" he shouted joyfully, and instantly he began working at a fervent pace.

The skritching of his pen was the only thing that was heard from the room.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Another year later))

Roy looked at his cousin,

"You're serious?" He asked, gawking at his cousin, "You're _really _gonna be a State Alchemist?"

Arturo nodded, then broke into a smirk.

"Of course… I mean, I've _developed _a technique that has never before been _seen_!" he said, as he donned the "Watt-cloth" gloves that he had developed. "Just see for yourself!"

Roy leaned closer to see what his cousin was going to do, when suddenly his knees went out from underneath him and he felt like someone was shaking him violently…every nerve in his body tingling.

Arturo's eyes went wide and ran over to Roy's side.

His younger cousin was breathless and weak.

Putting a hand on Roy's shoulder, he helped his cousin to his still trembling feet.

"I'm sorry, Roy… I'm still learning to control it… but are you okay?" he asked.

Roy gave a tired nod,

"It's okay… I'm fine… but I have to admit…" he said, looking up at Arturo with gleaming eyes "It was pretty _awesome_… in an unpleasant sort of way…"

Arturo laughed as he helped Roy lean on him and sit on one of the tavern's barstools.  
"How'd you do it?" Roy asked, his curiosity getting the better of him, "Master Hawkeye has something similar to it, but he refuses to show me any of it… He says I have a lot to learn."

Arturo ruffled Roy's raven-colored hair.

"_That's _because you _do _have a lot to learn…" he replied, "But don't worry…"

Roy's expression brightened… it was a rare moment when he actually got a compliment from his cousin.

_Wait for it… wait for it…_

"You'll be able to catch up to me soon. I dunno… maybe about… fifty years or so?"

The hopeful light that filled Roy's eyes disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"F-fifty years?" He snapped, "I'm smarter than that!"

Arturo laughed again,

"Sure you are, Roy… Sure you are…"

((A/N: Sorry for the short chapter guys... Anyway, thanks a lot for the alerts I got for the last chapter! I really appreciate it... but reviews would be great too! Even flames are welcome! ))


	6. An Unseen Confession

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA… only Arturo and Mr. Momo… please don't steal them without my permission… I'd be glad to give permission to torture them!

_**Thicker Than Rain**_

_**Chapter 6: An Unseen Confession**_

"_All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them."_

_~ Galileo Galilei_

~O~O~O~O~O~

That was it… he couldn't take it anymore… Everyone had their limits, and Colonel Mustang had reached his.

He was taking a day off… he felt like he deserved it after what had happened the day before.

The Colonel shuddered as he remembered it vividly… His cousin _leaning_ over him… a smirk on his face as he wiped his mouth…

No amount of therapy would make that moment okay… and it would live with him _forever_…

"Screw Equivalent Exchange! I did _NOTHING_ to deserve this!" Roy told himself as he sat on the floor of his apartment.

He had pulled his knees up to his chest as he rocked back and forth, trying to dispel the visuals from his mind… something he hadn't done since he was a young child.

Never in all his days had he thought of locking lips with another man… let alone his _cousin_…

He could've cried from the violation he felt.

_That Bastard_…

"He knew _exactly_ what he was doing!" Roy snapped at the wall adjacent to his position, "I don't care if I was drowning… he could've let the Lieutenant do it!"

Then he realized…

_The Lieutenant!_

"I left her alone with that bastard!" Roy exclaimed as he instantly stood up, "No! I won't let it happen! He won't be with her; I refuse to let that-that…_disaster_ happen!"

Roy dressed in his uniform as quickly as he could and gathering his coat, he went out the door, headed towards the office.

~O~O~O~O~O~

"I can't believe the Colonel _actually_ took off…" Breda said, glancing at his comrades, "I mean… He should've just taken the week off if he wanted to escape the inspection so badly…"

"That's not it…" Havoc said, the usual cigarette in his mouth, "I heard the Lieutenant and the Lieutenant General talking… The Boss is _related _to the Lieutenant General! They're cousins!"

Furey gasped,

"That explains the resemblance!" the younger man yelped.

The others looked at him with dull expressions, but didn't respond.

"Talking about my cousin again?"

All of the men shot up, saluting the Colonel who stood in the doorway.

"Where _is _the Lieutenant General?" he asked in his deep baritone.

"I believe he's in his office… with Lieutenant Hawkeye." Furey said, "He said that he needed to speak with her on something very important."

Roy's hands clenched into fists, but he held his temper back from his _still _loyal subordinates.

"Thank you… you can go back to whatever you were doing…" He said, as he rushed out the door, making a beeline to his cousin's office.

Roy burst through the door, expecting… well, he didn't know _what _he'd find, but he knew that it couldn't be good.

"You thought you could get away with it, didn't you?" Roy snapped, "Making me fall into the river and then kissing me, and then _knowing _that I'd take the day off so you could have time off with Riza!"

Arturo looked at his cousin with a puzzled countenance,

"_What_?" he asked, as he slowly broke into hearty laughter. Tears formed in his green eyes as he looked at Roy, falling back into his chair, unable to stand.

Roy stood his ground,

"You know what you did!" he shouted.

Arturo just continued laughing.

"Oh, I can't… I can't breathe…" he gasped, coughing and holding his stomach, laughter still coming in short bursts, "Oh…that's too much, Roy…"

Arturo wiped his eyes, grinning like the Cheshire cat up at his cousin.

"How long did it take you to come up with _that_?" he asked, "I hope you didn't burst a blood vessel…"

"STOP CHANGING THE SUBJECT!" Roy snapped, "Just stop! I can't take it any more!"

Arturo suddenly became serious, coughing again.

"Stop _what _exactly?" he inquired.

Roy visibly tensed… a blush forming on his face as he realized the position he found himself in.

"Stop hitting on my Lieutenant!" Roy choked out, "You _know_ how much I love her!"

Arturo's suddenly face softened, as he stood up, going over to his cousin.

"Roy… why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked, putting a hand on his cousin's shoulder and bringing him closer.

Roy nodded, sighing with relief… it had been a long time since his cousin showed him any kind of compassion.

"But Roy… could I ask you something?" He asked.

The Colonel looked up,

"Sure…" he said, "As long as you stop hitting on her…"

Arturo smirked,

"Could you repeat what you just said? I don't think the _beautiful _Lieutenant heard you." He said, snickering.

Roy's face turned completely pale as he looked back to see Hawkeye standing in the doorway, looking completely shocked.

"Ah, Lieutenant! I thought you'd never make it!" Arturo said cheerfully, "Now… about what we talked about…"

Hawkeye was completely stunned, but managed a stiff nod.

"O-of course…sir…" She said, a rare, red tint spread into her cheeks as she clutched the files and papers tighter against her chest.

_Well, __this __is uncomfortable…_

Roy could only gawk at her, then his cousin. He was then filled with anger.

_He __had__ planned this entire thing!_

He grabbed Arturo by the collar and began shaking him violently.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! YOU'RE LIKE A-A TERRORIST!" Roy shouted in his humiliation, "YOU NEVER STOP! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DROP DEAD!"

"Sir!" Hawkeye protested.

Arturo held up a hand, to calm the Lieutenant, but his black and white hair fell into his eyes as his cousin shook him.

"It's okay, Lieutenant… I understand what Roy's feeling… I shouldn't have tripped him… or set him up for that matter…" he said, his eyes still gleaming, "He just should learn to pick up on things sooner and not to assault a superior officer."

With his last sentence, he balled his hand into a fist and punched the Colonel across the face, sprawling him out on the floor.

Hawkeye ran over to her commander, as Arturo slammed the door behind him.

Roy was speechless for several seconds… he had never seen Arturo that angry before… and he'd never punched him before… Tormented him with electric shocks, tripped him, and other meaningless things like that were plenty… but he'd never punched him before… and a twang of guilt ran through the younger man.

When Roy sat up, Hawkeye looked at him with a hurt expression.

"Sir, I don't know how you could go and say something like that to him…" She said, helping him to his feet.

Roy's jaw dropped as he looked at her,

"What do you mean? He had it coming for years! He _should_ drop dead!"

"But you don't _say _that, sir…" Riza argued, "Especially when you don't know _his _side of the story!"

"What, and you _DO_?" The Colonel protested, "Well, if you two are so close, why don't you _tell me_?"

Hawkeye's jaw tightened in an agitated manner, and Roy paused.

"_Please don't tell Roy… I don't think he can handle the truth yet…I'll tell him at the end of the week… trust me…"_

"I-I can't, sir…" she said, "I'm under orders."

Roy glared at her,

"Fine… _be _that way…" Roy muttered.

"Sir, you're being _very _immature about this…" Hawkeye chastised, "Why can't you just have faith in what you don't understand? You'll find out sooner or later… the Lieutenant General told me so.."

"Because I'm an _alchemist_, Hawkeye!" Roy protested, "Besides, his word is like that of a hungry wolf… it can't be trusted!"

"Surely, you can't really think that, sir." She answered, calm as always.

"No… I _do _Hawkeye…" He said, "Now, I think I just need some time to myself…I'm… sorry about what happened…"

As he went to leave his cousin's office, Riza's face softened,

"Sir…_Roy_… there's no need for apologies…" she said, putting a hand on his shoulder, turning him back around, "I just don't want to see you two stop actually caring about each other…"

Roy chuckled,

"No need to worry about that, Lieutenant…" he answered casually, "That's already happened… no need to worry…"

He then headed back to his own office, as Hawkeye gave a sigh.

_He just doesn't understand…_

_((A/N: _Thank you so much for the alerts and review I got! I'm suprised you guys are still keeping up with my fic. I'm absolutely flattered! Reviews would be really appreciated... even bad ones make my day! ^^ ))


	7. Author's Apology

**((A/n: **Hi guys! Um... I'm sorry to say that I won't be posting a chapter this week... I have misplaced my flashdrive and can't seem to find it anywhere. I've been ripping apart the house, but I can't find it. I apologize sincerely for this, because I feel bad that I can't post... but I PROMISE, once I find it, I'll be posting the next chapter, even if I have to re-write the chapter. Thanks for your patience everyone... and I'm sorry again. :( ))


	8. Never Look Back

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA… Mr. Momo the slightly singed sock monkey and Arturo are the only characters that I actually own… *sobs*

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 7: Never Look Back**_

"_When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before."_

_~ Mae West_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Flashback))

"I'm leaving tomorrow…"

Roy looked at his cousin in disbelief,

"You really _passed _the State Alchemy exam? I mean, you worked your ass off, but I didn't think you were actually serious about becoming a Dog of the Military…" Roy said, looking up at his 19-year old cousin, who still towered over him by several inches.

Arturo smirked,

"Of _course_!" He said, "Think of all the research capabilities I have now! They call me the _Blue-Lightning Alchemist…_ The Fuhrer chose the name himself! And look at _this_!"

Arturo reached into his pocket to show off the silver pocket watch attached to his belt. The watch was adorned with the symbol of the State alchemist program carved into it… the Amnestrian Dragon surrounded by a hexagram.

"Wow… they really gave you that?" the younger boy asked in awe.

"Yep! It's not only a source of identification that shows me to be a _true _State Alchemist, but it also amplifies my alchemical powers!"

Arturo beamed with pride as he spoke.

"To tell the truth, Roy… I didn't actually think I was gonna make it… So many of them were so much older than I was… and when they were reading off the qualifications I had to have, I almost walked out the door." He admitted, laughing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Roy laughed along with his cousin,

"Well, either way, that's great! I'm happy you made it! Master Hawkeye is still only teaching me the basics… it sucks… I mean, I _know _transmutation circles already. I don't know why he won't go any further with me. Even his daughter agrees with me that I should be moving ahead."

Arturo pat Roy on the head,

"Just give it time…" he said, "Besides, have you been thinking what you're going to be doing with alchemy once you learn it? I could always teach you mine…"

Roy shook his head,

"No way! I don't want to be _Little Roy_ forever! If I use _your _alchemy, I'll be in your damn shadow my whole life! I'm not gonna stand for that!" the six-teen year old argued.

Arturo laughed again,

"That _is _true." He said, "_Little Roy._"

He ruffled Roy's hair fondly again as the younger boy pulled away.

"I have my _own _goals." Roy answered with a smirk.

Arturo leaned forward curiously,

"Oh? Like _what?_" Arturo inquired.

"I'm gonna join the military as a State Alchemist like you, Arturo… but I'm gonna work through the ranks to help people by becoming Fuhrer!" Roy announced proudly.

Arturo chuckled with a certain degree of amusement,

"You sure you can reach a goal like _that,_ Roy?" Arturo asked, raising an eyebrow at his cousin, "I mean, that's some tough stuff… People aren't gonna like that, and I _know _how much of a softy you really are…"

"Hey! If a skunk-head like _you _can become a State Alchemist, I'm _sure _I can do it!" Roy said, clenching a fist with determination.

Arturo only stood up straight,

"Well, then I'll have _no choice _but to help you with that… I mean, we _are _cousins after all." Arturo scoffed.

"No, we'll help each _other._" Roy said, "You can't just leave me out of that! You think you're going to babysit me my entire life! I'm practically grown up anyway!"

Arturo just snapped his fingers, causing his cousin to jump like he'd been stung.

"You have a long way to go." Arturo replied, "But… I guess everyone could use a little help every so often…"

Roy paused,

"You're actually agreeing with me?" he asked, stunned by the momentous occasion.

Arturo chuckled and gave a nod.

"Yeah… I mean, if I didn't, you'd probably go cry to Madame Christmas… and I've gotten enough beatings from her, _thank-you-very-much._"

"Well, you deserved them." Roy pointed out, receiving another jolt of electricity pulsing through his nerves, "Oww! That really hurt!"

Arturo laughed and zapped him again.

Roy jumped, growled at his cousin, and pulled a piece of chalk from his pocket.

"Oh… _that's_ it…" he said, drawing a transmutation circle on the floor as quickly as he could.

Arturo gave a snort,

"You're gonna have to be quicker than that!" He teased, sending painful zigzags at his cousin.

Roy pressed his hands against the circle, enclosing his cousin in a wooden box that rose from the floor of the tavern.

"Dammit!" Arturo said, knowing he'd been defeated.

Roy laughed, leaning against the box, knocking against it with his knuckles.

"Gotcha, Artie!" he exclaimed triumphantly, "Can't shoot your sparks with wood surrounding you!"

"Roy, let me out of here this instant!" Arturo shouted, pounding against the box, "I… I can't breathe… There's no…_air…_"

Roy chuckled,

"Nice try, Artie…" Roy said coolly, "But you can't get me with _that _trick."

There was no response, only a crumpling sound in the box.

Roy's eyes widened as panic set in.

Drawing a transmutation circle on the wooden structure, he set the floor back to its original position, where Arturo lay on the floor.

"Oh god… Arturo! Wake up!" Roy said, shaking him.

When he didn't answer, his face lost its color.

_Mom's… gonna… kill… me…_

Roy ran his hands down his face as he wondered how on earth she was going to react when she came home… There was already the: _No alchemy in the tavern_ rule… and with Arturo unconscious, he had broken the: _No fighting in the tavern_ rule…

"Geez… now Arturo's unconscious and all it took was a wooden box…" Roy said, "How's mom gonna buy that?"

Footsteps were heard coming from one of the backroom.

"Have you boys finished cleaning up yet?"

Roy squeaked in panic as he looked around and rushed to begin his chores. As he quickened his pace, he ran face first into someone.

"Hey! Watch where you're going? Can't you see I'm panicking?" the teen snapped as he looked up to see his cousin standing there, smirking down at him.

"Started your chores yet, Roy?"

The future Colonel looked up at his cousin's smirking face, and punched him in the chest.

"What the _hell_?" he shouted, "I was _really _worried!"

Arturo laughed, patting his cousin on the shoulder.

"I told you that you were a softy!" he said, smirking.

Roy glared at him, as Arturo threw him a broom.

"Just get cleaning…." He said, "Before I shock you again."

Roy grumbled, but didn't argue.

"Jerk…"

((A/N: Thanks for putting up with me, guys. I really appreciate it. As promised, here's last weeks chapter. ^^ ))


	9. Appreciation

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA… only Arturo and Mr. Momo…

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 8: Appreciation**_

"_A father may turn his back on his child, brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands. But a mother's love endures through all."_

_~ Washington Irving_

~O~O~O~O~O~

"Hurry up, Al! I wanna get this over with…"

"Coming, Brother!"

A short, blond State Alchemist ran towards the stairs of Central Headquarters with a large suit of armor following behind, each metal step clunking loudly against the concrete.

They made their way up the stairs and into the building, looking around each second.

"I wonder where the bastard Colonel is…" the shorter boy pondered aloud.

"I don't know, Brother… but you have to find him, right? You're supposed to report in-"

Ed cut him off with a wave of his hand,

"Yeah, yeah… I know, Al…" he muttered, "I'm just not looking forward to it…"

"_Hello Fullmetal_…"

Ed instantly turned around, clapping his hands together and transmuting his right arm into a blade.

"Trying to sneak up on me, bastard?" He snarled, turning around.

"B-brother, no!" Al protested.

Ed jumped and swung his arm around to strike his intended target, but he felt a pressure underneath his ankles, flipping him over and onto the floor.

"What the hell?" Ed asked, stunned for a moment as memories of his teacher flashed through his mind.

He looked up to see… not the Bastard Colonel… but rather someone who looked eerily like him.

"Who are _you_?" the young alchemist questioned, "And how do you _know _me?"

The man laughed, before coughing.

When he regained himself, he broke into a distinctly Mustang-like smirk.

"I'm Lieutenant General Arturo Ligue… the _Blue-Lightning Alchemist._" Arturo said, reaching a hand out to help Ed back up, "Not only have I heard of the famed 'Alchemist of the People', but I know _all _the State Alchemists... being a 'higher-up' and all."

Ed gave a dumbfounded nod as he levered himself back up onto his feet.

"Oh…" he said finally, "Sorry about earlier then…I thought you were Mustang."

Arturo laughed again,

"You were looking for my _cousin_?" he asked, looking amused, "I wouldn't blame you for going after him… Actually, he's in his office right now. I was just going to add more misery to his day anyway, so I guess I'll tag along with you boys."

Al gave a sigh as he spotted his brother break into a grin.

Ed tapped against his brother's metal chest.

"I think I like this guy already, Al." he said.

Al only sighed again.

_They never learn…_

~O~O~O~O~O~

"Is it the end of the week yet, Lieutenant?" Roy asked, resting his forehead on the edge of his desk.

Hawkeye gave a sigh, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, not yet, Sir," she replied, "You still have four days left…"

Roy gave a groan... and lifted his head up to look at the clock.

It was still pretty early in the morning… but Arturo was late.

_Hopefully the bastard won't show up._

A knocking at the door broke into his thoughts and he instantly glanced at Hawkeye, tempted to tell her not to answer it.

Unfortunately, Hawkeye wasn't a mind-reader and she opened the door.

"Hey Mustang!"

It was Ed… Roy nearly jumped with joy at the sight of the young Elric brothers.

"Ah… the Shrimp Brigade is finally in town! What a sight for sore eyes!" He said.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT, HE'D FIT INTO A COCKTAIL?" He snapped.

Hawkeye mentally face-palmed, but didn't say anything.

Roy just smirked at the younger alchemist.

"So, what are you here for, _Fullmetal_?" he asked, leaning forward in his chair, his elbows on the desk.

Ed fumed,

"You know _exactly _why I'm here!" the Alchemist barked fiercely, "You _summoned _me two days ago!"

Roy chuckled, putting a finger to his chin,

"Ah… _that's_ right… I have a very important mission for you boys…" He said.

Ed looked at the Colonel, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What _kind _of mission?" he asked.

Roy broke into a smirk,

"I want _you _to take care of my cousin for the day." He stated, "Y'know… keeping him _away _from me…"

Ed looked dumbfounded,

"Are you _serious_? You really _are _an ass." the young alchemist answered.

"Brother!" Al argued.

"_But_…" Ed continued raising a finger into the air, "If you agree to_ owe me one_… I suppose I could make an exception."

A dark, ominous grin lined the face of the Fullmetal Alchemist. Roy squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, but as he ignored the look of disbelief on Hawkeye's face, he agreed.

Ed reached over the desk and shook the Colonel's hand.

"Okay, Fullmetal, when my cousin arrives, you just take him away from my office. I don't care _where _you take him… just get him _away _from _me_." He said, "Now go on… You can't miss him: he's a tall man with hair like a skunk."

"Oh… you mean _that guy_?" Ed asked, pointing a thumb behind his brother, "We met him before."

Roy stiffened and fearfully looked up fully to see Arturo standing in the doorway.

Arturo smirked,

"Yeah, and I told them _all _about you…" he said.

Roy stood up quickly, sending his chair fly backwards.

"YOU DID _WHAT_?" The Colonel yelled hysterically.

Arturo and Ed laughed.

"Nah, don't worry little _Popcorn Colonel_…" the Lieutenant General said, "I didn't say anything. I just wanted to see how you would react."

Another dark smile lined Ed's face as the perfect idea popped into his head.

"But now that you mention it… _could _you tell us all about the Colonel?" he asked innocently.

Roy gave his cousin a death glare, but Arturo seemed to shrug it off.

"Perhaps later, Fullmetal… Anyway, I guess I'll see you later, Roy."

Roy, once again, looked defeated.

He sputtered several inaudible things that were supposed to be words, but they left.

Hawkeye glanced at the door, then back at the Colonel, and she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Its okay, Sir." She said, "It'll be okay…"

~O~O~O~O~O~

"So… you're supposed to watch me?" Arturo asked, with a grin, "I thought it would be backwards… but you _know _Roy…"

The young alchemist chuckled, returning the Lieutenant General's grin with his own.

"Yeah… Colonel _Ass _is being stupid again. I don't get _why_ he wants us to have this mission… What did you _do _to him anyway?" Ed asked, "I mean, he doesn't even want to have _me _out of his sight… he _sent _for me! You _HAVE _to tell me your secret to get Mustang off my back!"

The suit of armor gave Ed a sharp glance,

"Ed! That's not a nice thing to say… _especially _when you're talking to someone who's _related _to the Colonel!" he said in a child-like voice.

"But, Al! If I can get the Colonel off my back forever..." Ed started.

"ED!"

Arturo laughed,

"Don't fight, you two… You're brothers, right?" he asked.

The pair nodded,

"Uh-huh!" they chorused.

"You're lucky." He said, "I can see that you two have a strong bond with each other… always supporting each other…"

His voice trailed off as though he were recalling something or _someone _from the past.

As silence began settling in, Al glanced at his brother, then turned his attention back to the Lieutenant General.

"Uh… Sir... are you okay?" the younger boy asked nervously.

Arturo shook his head, throwing his past thoughts away.

"Of course I am… I just noticed that we hadn't been formally introduced." He said as he reached out a hand for a firm, friendly handshake, "I know _you, _Edward… but who's your brother?"

The suit of armor piped up and grabbed Arturo's hand.

"I'm _Alphonse Elric_! But you can call me Al! " He said cheerfully, "It's nice to meet you, Sir!"

Arturo beamed,

"You two seem like pretty smart boys." He said.

_It makes me wonder __why__ you decided to get pulled into the military…_

"And Ed… I saw you when you came for your State Alchemy exam. Your performance was…_phenomenal_. I'd never seen anything like it."

Ed visibly winced,

"Yeah… I get that a lot from the other alchemists." He mumbled

Al looked at his brother and then spoke up.

"But what about _your _research… did you discover it yourself, or were you taught it, like the Colonel?" the younger brother asked, trying to change the subject.

Arturo's chest puffed out with pride,

"I developed it myself when I was about your age." He said, "Blue-Lightning Alchemy…"

He gave a snap of his fingers and wisps of lightning swirled around him like spun sugar.

"Ooh…" the boys said in unison as the blue light faded.

"Is it anything like the Colonel's alchemy?" Al inquired as the Elric love of alchemy starting to emerge in the brothers' eyes.

"Not quite…" Arturo said, "It's very similar, but not exact… True, Roy and I both have developed gloves with transmutation circles, but Roy's is used to control the oxygen level in the air, while mine change the charges of the atoms in the air so static electricity can be made."

Ed nodded,

"It makes sense." He said.

Arturo grinned,

"I'm glad you think so." He said with a smirk, "But all of that aside… how about we head to the library or get something to eat… I'm starving."

Ed grinned,

"I like your thinking!" he said, as they went to the local café.

Arturo grinned.

All day, he watched the boys and he couldn't help but grow fond of them. There was something about them that just made him smile and recall the old days of his own childhood… before everything fell apart at his feet.

As they headed back to the hotel, the Lieutenant General coughed violently into his bicep causing the brothers look at him with concern.

"Hey, General… Are you feeling all right?"

Arturo looked up,

"I'm fine, boys… I'm fine…" He said, looking at them, "Are you two _always _this high-strung?"

"What do you mean _high-strung_?" Ed asked, suddenly glaring at the Lieutenant General, "That wasn't any _ordinary _cough..."

Arturo stiffened visibly, "It's nothing that you should be concerning yourselves with… I've _always _been sick…" he said, "You can just ask Roy…"

Ed scoffed, "I may be no expert, but I know a bit about medicine from a friend…" He said, "And that's no cold… You're not here to do a check of Central, are you?"

Arturo looked up at the Elric with dilated eyes.

"That's _RIDICULOUS_!" he snapped defensively.

No matter how much he denied it, these were smart kids that caught on fast, and his secret would be let out eventually.

He looked up at the sky then back to the determined Elrics and gave a deep sigh.

"Fine…" Arturo muttered, knowing full well that he'd been defeated, "You're right… I'm _not _here to check Central…."

Ed gave a satisfied smirk.

"I knew it!"

"BUT… the reason I'm here is _much _more important than any check I have to do…" Arturo said, cutting off the younger alchemist.

Ed didn't hear his words, but was rather lost in his own tiny victory against someone who at least _resembled _the Colonel, but a sharp nudge in the ribs from his younger sibling broke him out of it.

"Well, what could that be, Sir?" Alphonse inquired, glancing sternly at Ed.

The Lieutenant General paused as he took a few moments to gather himself.

"Boys… you are not to tell Roy of this…" he started off, picking out every one of his words carefully, as though it were in his own alchemical code.

The two Elrics nodded in unison, but a shadow of a blank understanding filled their features.

"Of course!" Alphonse said, "But shouldn't the Colonel be aware of everything that goes on around Central?"

Arturo straightened himself out and towered over the pair.

"He's _NOT _to know!" The General growled, "I'll tell him when the time is right."

"Well, if it's so important…" Ed muttered, growing impatient, "What is it?"

He winced as he said it, and clenched his hands into fists as though he had been stung.

"I have Lung Cancer."

Ed and Al looked at him completely dumbfounded.

"W-wait… _what?_" Ed asked, not believing what he had just heard.

Turning his back to the younger alchemists he gave a shaky sigh.

"I have lung cancer… I'm _dying_." Arturo repeated, feeling his eyes glaze over slowly.

Ed looked from his brother to the seemingly wounded Lieutenant General and gave a nervous laugh.

"Hey… if you keep joking like that, I'm going to start realizing why the Colonel hates you so much." He said, trying to keep his denial in check.

Alphonse nudged his brother once again.

"Nii-san… I don't think he was joking…" he pointed out, "No one would joke about something like that… Right, Sir?"

There were no further answers from the Lieutenant General, but rather the rush of a breeze and the chattering of passerby were the only things heard around them.

They stood awkwardly for several, pain-staking seconds, before the Lieutenant General turned back to face them.

His expression seemed cheerful once again… all previous conversation forgotten.

"I hope you boys stay safe." He said smiling, "I also hope you keep coming back to Central to keep Little Roy in check."

The boys just gave another set of puzzled nods as the Lieutenant General walked down the street coughing as he went.

They watched him go for another few seconds before exchanging panicked glances and running after him.

"ARTURO!"

The Lieutenant General hesitated looking back, and seeing the boys running in his direction, he went to the side of the road.

After taking a quick glance both ways, he jumped into the way of an oncoming trolley.

Al gave a horrorified shriek as Ed lunged forward to grab the man's uniform jacket but failing miserably by a few yards.

"SIR! SUICIDE ISN'T THE WAY! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! WE CAN TALK THIS OUT!" Al screamed.

But the brothers could only look on as the trolley came closer almost colliding with the tall man.

However, in a split second, Arturo took a step to the right, reached out his left hand grabbing the pole of the trolley and swinging himself onto the platform in a swift, coordinated movement.

He then waved as the trolley passed by and he was gone without another word.

Ed and Al stood… once again dumbfounded.

"B-brother… what just happened?" Al asked, his eyes fixed on the spot of road where the General had stood only seconds before.

Ed's eyes were as focused as his brother's.

"I don't know Al… I really don't know…"

The moment slowly sank in, and Ed, without warning kicked the ground hard with his left leg.

"Dammit!"

Alphonse jumped, startled.

"What is it, Nii-san?" he questioned, unsure of what brought on the sudden burst of anger.

"I just realized something… All adults are crazy, Al… All of them! I don't understand it! I mean, he _IS _like the Colonel!" Ed muttered.

Al just shook his armored head,

"Ed, I knew one day you were going to drive a man to his death…" Alphonse scolded.

Ed gave him a keen glare,

"Fine Al… Fine… y'know what… just kill me when I turn 18… that will solve everything…"

"No Nii-san! I could never do that! Besides, then there'd be no one to kill me!" Alphonse said with wide eyes.

Ed suddenly grinned with amusement,

"I love you, Al…" he said chuckling.

"I know, Brother… I know… I'm just adorable." Alphonse answered as the pair headed back to their hotel.

"Yes you are, Al…yes you are."

~O~O~O~O~O~

A few blocks down the road the trolley stopped, and Arturo gave the man several cenz, getting off in front of the tavern.

Looking up, the Lieutenant General couldn't help but snort with a degree of dark amusement.

"God… I never thought I'd end up here again…"

Pushing down the handle of the door, he slowly walked in, almost wanting his presence to go unnoticed… but his uniform and the bell on the door gave him away.

Several girls looked in his direction, most of them with wary eyes.

He knew most of them, having dated each one of them at least once… but he wasn't expecting such a cold welcome…

Glancing around, he spotted a beautiful, brown-haired girl about Roy's age approaching him and he smiled.

She had dated both him _and _Roy, but she liked Roy more… though he'd never admit it.

"Arturo… what are you doing here?" she questioned in a harsh whisper, "I thought you said that you were never coming back."

Arturo just gave her a charming smirk.

"I have business here with the Madame, Vanessa." He stated, "Besides, I wanted to see you girls again."

He took another glance around the tavern at the girls, who now resembled frightened cats more than anything.

Taking several steps forward, Vanessa blocked his way once again.

"Arturo… don't do this to her… the Madame doesn't need any more of your trouble… She still hasn't gotten over your betrayal." Vanessa pleaded, "She doesn't need this burden."

Arturo just shrugged it off, "Burden or not, I'm going to see her." He said, "But perhaps later we can have an argument… just like old times, eh 'Nessa?"

After a moment of stunned silence, the brunette pushed him away angrily, "You're still the selfish bastard that we remember you to be!" she shouted, "You only think about yourself and your own career! I won't let you in! Not after you just barge in here like a-!"

"Let the boy in, Vanessa… we need all the customers we can get in these hard times…"

A husky woman with ornate jewelery and a black dress emerged from the back room; a cigarette hung casually from her lips.

Arturo smirked at the sight of the familiar face.

"Hello Madame… long time no see." He greeted, taking a seat at the bar.

"I could say the same thing… _General_…" she retorted, "So… what'll it be?"

"Just a simple conversation would be fine… y'know, for old time's sake." Arturo answered calmly.

Inside, his thoughts were a raging torrent and as he looked into his 'mother's' eyes, he felt like a child again.

The Madame adjusted herself as she leaned her elbow on the rough wood of the bar.

"All right, Artie…" She said almost coldly, "But let's go in the back to talk…"

Arturo nodded, but broke into a nervous smirk.

"Okay… but usually I don't go for older women." he joked.

Gathering up his nerve, she led him up the stairs as memories flooded back to him in crashing waves.

When they reached the back room, she motioned him into a large chair, while she herself sat next to the fireplace.

The General couldn't find anything to say for several minutes, but only watched silently as she lit up a cigarette.

More seconds passed by and the pair just sat there. Arturo glanced around the room, trying to keep away from his adoptive mother's gaze, as she stared right at him, taking in the distant features of her prodigal son.

The smoke of her cigarette slowly permeated the room and Arturo coughed violently.

"Those aren't good for you, y'know." He pointed out, his eyes tearing slightly and blood misting the palm of his hand.

Her eyes met his and a grim smile crawled across her face.

"As if you never inhaled smoke before…" she drawled, "And as your mother, I know you have."

Arturo gave a deep sigh,

"That was a long time ago, Madame…" he reminded, "Times were different then."

The Madame's smile remained on her face, but softened drastically.

"Yes, and you were a cute kid… what ever happened to _that _version of you? You've gotten so scruffy… don't you ever shave?" she questioned, "I've always told you that unshaved men were always of the bad sort."

Arturo rolled his eyes,

"That's not important." The Lieutenant General pointed out, "I'm here for different reasons, not to be hassled. I'm a grown man now anyway."

Madame Christmas leaned forward in her chair,

"Then why _are _you here?" she inquired, "You haven't yet answered that question."

Again, Arturo felt like he had been stung and beads of sweat dotted his forehead and palms.

"That's the hardest part… but I guess it's not something I can easily hide… after all, you _always _knew what I was up to." He said.

"Stop stalling… I know you've gotten yourself into _some _kind of trouble. Just spit it out already; you're starting to stammer like a fool." The Madame said.

Gripping the arms of the chair, he stood up and went to face the fireplace, just staring intot he smoldering flames.

"I guess it _is _true that a son can't just visit his mother…adopted or not…" he started out, "But I don't have a long time for me to tell you this…"

She examined him, urging him on with her narrowed eyes.

"Go on…"

"I came to say goodbye… but for good this time… I will _never_ be coming back." He said, turning around, "But you always expected it to be that way… didn't you? Even after the war…you knew…"

Madame Christmas gave a puff of her cigarette and blew a toxic cloud in the opposite direction.

"Yes… I knew…" she said distantly, "I started feeling it after the war… one of my boys was going to leave me… but out of the two, I knew it was going to be you."

Arturo gave a nod of understanding, still staring into the flames.

"So, I guess I have nothing to worry about, huh?" he asked, "since it's no surprise and what not…"

He took a shaky, laughing breath as his eyes glazed.

"Well… well Madame… _Mom_… I have lung cancer." He said, "And I'm dying."

She gave a sigh,

"I know… I know, Artie." She said, still sitting in the chair watching him.

He looked at her, shocked.

"You just seem to know everything, don't you?" he snapped, "Well, if you know that, you obviously know that Ishbal was my fault, as was ruining Roy's life! All of it was my fault! It's my fault that so many people were killed; both alchemists and non…"

He stared at his hands, and watched in horror as the blood slowly dripped down from his fingers.

It was only at this point that she stood up and, with a firm hand, slapped him across the face.

The Lieutenant General stumbled and fell backwards so he found himself in a sitting position on the carpeting.

"I knew I had it coming…" he said shamefully.

She didn't respond, but rather knelt down and pulled him into an embrace.

"You idiot…" she said, stroking his hair quietly.

Arturo relaxed in her embrace, leaning towards her and trying to keep his coughs and tears in check.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" he whimpered, "So sorry…"

Once again Arturo was greeted with a sharp strike to the back of his head.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked, caught off guard once again.

Madame Christmas didn't respond, but had stood up reaching a hand out to her adopted son.

"Come on; get up and I'll pour you a drink downstairs." She said.

Arturo blinked puzzled for a moment, but took her hand and stood up.

Once he was back on his feet, she turned to begin walking towards the stairs, but Arturo grabbed her shoulder gently stopping her.

She glanced back to look at him.

"What is it, Artie?" she asked.

Arturo swallowed,

"A-about my last name…" he started.

But the Madame cut him off.

"I already know…" she said, "Roy-boy is just an idiot."

She then continued down the stairs.

Arturo tilted his head like a confused puppy, but continued following at her heels.

"Another thing…" he said as he walked behind her, "How _did _you know about my…condition?"

Madame Christmas turned to face him fully at this moment as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I had Lieutenant General Grumman send me your medical records." She stated nonchalantly, "After all, I have to keep an eye out for my boys."

Arturo was once again stunned, but as she headed out to the bar, he took a seat, a smirk lining his face.

Nothing about her surprised him anymore.

The bell rang again and all in the bar turned to see Roy walk in.

The girls flocked him and at first he didn't notice… but the military uniform and the skunk-like hair caught his eye.

"What is that _BASTARD _doing here?" he snarled.

Madame Christmas gave the Colonel a sharp look, but Arturo just raised his hand and put his cenz on the bar.

"It's okay… I was just leaving." He said smirking, as he then glanced at Roy.

She looked briefly concerned, but as Arturo was walking out the door, he hesitated at the sound of her voice.

"Artie, I just wanna tell you…. Before you leave, don't let the door hit you on the way out." She said, looking at him.

Arturo turned to his adoptive mother, gave a nod.

"Of course, Mom." He said as he shut the door behind quietly behind him.


	10. Unforgettable

**Disclaimer: **I only own Arturo and Mr. Momo… please don't use them without my permission!

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 9: Unforgettable**_

"_I know what I have given you. I do not know what you have received"_

_~ Antonio Porchia_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Flashback))

"So… Colonel Mustang… Please stand, if you will."

The Colonel nodded, leaning his palms against the table as he slowly made his way to his feet.

"What is _your _imput on the Ishbal Rebellion?" the Furher asked, calmly looking over in the younger man's direction.

The newly appointed Colonel stood his ground.

"Well sir, I believe that, even though we have a lot of great men out there, it still causes me pain to see them massacred in such a fashion." He started.

Bradly sat up straighter in his chair, then leaned his elbows against the table.

"What do you suggest that we do then, _Colonel?_" he inquired.

The younger man swallowed loudly,

He had a feeling that his cousin would never forgive him for what he was about to do… but if Little Roy was ever going to become Furher, he would have to experience at least _some _war… and the popular notion was that the war was _nearly _over, so they'd be out in a few months.

"_Well _Colonel?" Bradly continued as he interupted Arturo's thoughts.

"I think that we should send out the State Alchemists to take care of things and protect the rest of our troops." Arturo stated, "I _myself, _included in these ranks."

Several gasps were heard amongst the board… all seemed surprised _except _Bradly.

The Furher just chuckled, leaning back in his chair, calm once again.

"You may take a seat, Colonel." He responded.

Arturo nodded obediently, doing as he was told.

"A very _daring _idea, Colonel Mustang…" Bradly said, "Risking not only yourself and your kin… but also the finest branch of the military we have."

"I know, Sir." Arturo answered confidently, "But I think that sometimes drastic measures are necessary to achieve the aquired results… The ends justify the means, if you will."

"But that's preposterous! Innocent civillians would have no chance against the Alchemists' abilities! The entire _race_ would be completely wiped out!" one of the other officers argued.

A smirk lined Bradly's face.

"I agree with the Colonel… sometimes sacrifices must be made to protect our troops and maintain control over those people." He said, "Does anyone have any more complaints?"

The entire room was silent and the Furher stood up.

"Very good! Everyone, you know what to do." He said.

The officers nodded and headed to their appointed posts.

As Arturo walked out, Bradly put a hand on his shoulder.

"Good job, Colonel. I like the way you think. You have a lot of potential." He said.

Arturo only nodded stiffly,

"Thank you, sir."

~O~O~O~O~O~

It was only a few weeks later that Presidential Decree 3066 was sent out and along with it, went all the State Alchemists.

Colonel Arturo Mustang and Major Roy Mustang were seated near the back of the truck, which was clustered to the brim with their fellow alchemists.

"I can't believe that some bastard sent out State Alchemists… I swear… if I _ever _find the guy that put that idea in the Furhrer's head, I'll kill him!" Roy grumbled.

The Colonel shifted uncomfortably, glancing out the window, then at his younger cousin.

"I'm sure he had a good reason, Roy." Arturo mumbled, "Besides, you shouldn't question your orders unless you have to."

Roy crossed his arms over his chest with a huff.

"Yeah, well, when I become Furhrer, things'll change!" he argued defiantly.

Arturo instantly slapped his cousin in the back of the head.

"ROY! Don't _say _things like that!" Arturo chastised, "That's _TREASON! _You could be beheaded or hanged for that! Don't be an idiot!"

The Major rubbed the back of his head with a wince, and gave a defeated sigh.

"Whatever… I just can't wait until this whole damn thing is over…" he muttered, "I never asked to be thrown into war…"

Arturo looked out the window.

"I know Roy… I know…"

~O~O~O~O~O~

Arturo stepped off the truck, helped down by his subordinates.

He thanked them silently and as he turned around, three men in the usual blue uniforms greeted him.

"Colonel Arturo Mustang?"

Arturo acknowledged them with a nod.

"Yes, I'm the one." He said, "Can I help you?"

They returned his nod with ones of their own, and the man in the center handed him an envelope without another word.

"The Furhrer sent me to give this to you." He said, wiping blonde hair out of his eyes as he gave a mechanical salute, "And it's just as you requested, Sir."

The Colonel thanked him silently, dismissed him and went to open the letter.

Roy peered curiously over his shoulder.

"What does it say?" he inquired.

Arturo pushed him out of the way.

"Roy, get serious… this is military business… You can't be reading my mail!" Arturo scolded.

The Major gave a pout, showing his distaste.

"Jerk…"

Arturo gave a snort, but he kept reading.

"Shut up, Little Roy…" he muttered.

His eyes scanned the paper. It was a listing of all his subordinates, both alchemists and non. Glancing briefly at Roy, he looked down the lists of the State Alchemists he had under his jurisdiction.

Roy wasn't one of them.

He checked again, but came up with the same results.

"WHAT IS THIS BULL SHIT?" he snapped angrily, causing Roy to jump with sudden shock.

"Wait… what's wrong?" Roy asked completely wide-eyed.

"You're not on the list! You're not on the GODDAMN list!" Arturo said, shoving it into his cousin's hands.

Roy took it and looked it over.

"This is a listing of your subordinates, right?" Roy asked, looking it over quickly.

Arturo nodded,

"I especially requested that you be under me so I can keep an eye on you!" he snarled frustrated.

Roy eyed his cousin than burst into laughter.

"That's what you're cursing about?" he asked, looking unconsolably amused, "I requested to be under Colonel Gran."

Arturo's jaw dropped instantly.

"B-but why?" the Colonel asked, puzzled.

Roy smirked,

"Well… didn't I tell you that I didn't want to be stuck in your shadow all the time?" he asked, "Besides, I think you'd be a wreck if you had to keep an eye on me all the time! Besides, we can't have you giving me special treatment, right?"

Arturo nodded half-heartidly. Roy _was _speaking the truth, but he _had _promised Madame Christmas that he'd look after Roy before they left, and he couldn't help but feel a sudden pang of guilt for letting her down.

Roy must've seen Arturo's expression droop a bit, because he put his hand on his cousin's shoulder and gave a slight, comforting squeeze.

"Don't worry about Mom… if you don't tell her, I won't." he said with a smirk.

Arturo couldn't help but break into a grin.

"Fine… But you better take care of yourself, okay?" he said, grabbing his cousin's hand roughly and shaking it.

Roy returned the handshake,

"That goes for you too, Artie." He said.

Arturo bristled, but he gave a good-humored smirk.

"Just go to meet your superior officer." Arturo said, pushing his cousin forward, "But Roy…_Major_… Don't forget about the promise we made, okay? I'll support you every step of the way…"

Roy's jaw set and he looked at his cousin sternly.

"Yeah, well… don't forget that I'll be there for you too…Artie… I mean, _Colonel_…" Roy said, as he then turned to join the rest of his platoon.

Arturo watched until his cousin was out of his sight, and he glanced around for those who fell under his command.

He heard footsteps, and a familiar, yet unexpected voice greeted him.

"Cadet Hawkeye reporting for duty, Sir!"

Arturo's eyes widened as he turned around. A young, blonde cadet stood; one of her hands holding a rifle while the other was flat against her forehead at a perfect angle.

"R-Riza…?"

The Cadet lowered her hand and snapped it back to her side.

"It's good to see you again, Colonel Mustang." She said with a friendly smile, "Though I wish we had met under different conditions."

Arturo gave a nod, and fought back every urge to pull her into an embrace.

"Yeah… I know." He agreed, "But what are you doing here? I thought you and your father _hated _the military…"

"Well Sir… sometimes love can overcome hate…" She said, "After all… I'm here to protect someone who's very important to me."

Arturo's expression softened,

"It's not me, is it?" he asked with a teasing grin.

Hawkeye cocked her gun and pointed it directly between the Colonel's eyes.

"Sir… I have no desire to start my first day of field work with a courtmartial." She pointed out sternly.

Arturo laughed,

"Lower your gun, Cadet." He said, "I know why you're here."

Riza did as she was told, and gave an appreciative nod.

"I'm glad you understand, Sir." She said, "But _how _do you know?"

Arturo smirked with a dark chuckle as he turned fully to face her.

"I understand, because _I'm _here for the same reason… and to protect the same person."

((So... what do you guys think? Reviews would really be appreciated! :) ))


	11. Thicker than Rain

**Disclaimer:** I only own Arturo and Mr. Momo… don't use them without my permission, please!

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 10: Thicker Than Rain**_

"_Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes."_

_~ Jack Handey_

~O~O~O~O~O~

Roy lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head.

"What was he _doing _in there? I mean, what _right _does that _bastard _have to just go to the Madame's bar and cause her unnecessary pain? It's _inhuman_!"

Roy gave a grunt and he glanced sideways at his clock.

He had work to do and the last thing he wanted to have was the Lieutenant's pistols coming after him.

~O~O~O~O~O~

When Roy entered the office, the first thing he heard (besides the usual gossiping of the female officers) was music coming from the office that he had given his cousin.

"What does Lieutenant General Dumbass think he's doing now…?" Roy couldn't help but wonder.

He opened the door without knocking.

Arturo was there, sitting at the desk comfortably. A guitar was laid across his lap while he cradled a violin in his arms. He didn't give Roy any attention, but rather was concentrated on whatever he was writing. However, in the center of the desk was an aged book filled with pages and pages of handwritten sheet music.

Roy walked in, saluted against his will and glanced over the Lieutenant General's work.

"What _is _this?" Roy asked, picking up the book and looking it over.

Arturo's eyes instantly blazed and he snapped his fingers.

Roy felt a stinging run through all the nerves of his right arm and he dropped it reflexively.

"Don't Touch, Little Roy…" he scolded, "The big-boy alchemists have work that needs to be done."

Roy crossed his arms,

"I thought your research was finished…" the Colonel pointed out, "You finished everything, didn't you?"

Arturo looked startled,

"_No_! I have just a bit more to do…" Arturo stated, "Besides, hasn't anyone told you that when an alchemist finishes their work, they die?"

Roy's mind flashed back to Master Hawkeye and he became solemn.

"Yeah… I _have _heard it." He mumbled.

Arturo took note of his cousin's sudden change of attitude, and he spoke again.

"Well, I'm glad you've heard it. It's a very important thing to remember. But getting back to the problem here…Now, just because you have no artistic talent doesn't mean that you can just waltz in here and give your criticisms. Not everyone cares about your opinion, Roy."

"Hey! _I'M _the one who's trying to become Fuhrer, okay? Just because you _think _you're some kind of fucking genius doesn't mean that you can go around pulling me around like some kind of play thing!" Roy snapped.

Arturo didn't answer instantly, but only studied his cousin with a blank expression for a few moments.

Roy looked back at him, seething with anger.

"Well, aren't you going to say something?"

Arturo coughed and leaned back in his chair.

"Well, maybe I have ambitions of my own…" The Lieutenant General pointed out, "Perhaps there's a very particular person who _I _want to see in charge of this country… someone who I can believe in…"

Roy gawked at his cousin,

"What do you mean?"

" Well, it's simple, Little Roy… the person who I'm imagining taking the place as Fuhrer is someone who has brilliant, respectable ideals and who is determined as anything… a person who's grown wiser through their experiences and thinks of others before himself… someone who knows more about those around him…"

His sentence trailed off as he turned to face the window… his back turned to Roy.

Roy stared at his cousin in utter shock and betrayal.

"Well, _good luck _with that!" Roy belittled, "It'll be hard to find someone like _that _around… but it seems like you already have someone in mind."

Arturo smirked to himself,

"Yes… indeed I _do_…"

The Colonel gave a huff and stormed out of the office, returning to his own where Hawkeye was probably waiting for him.

At least _someone _would respect him…

Arturo waited until Roy's footsteps disappeared from down the hall before turning around in his chair.

"Oh Roy… if only you had _any _idea…" he thought as he picked up his violin and began to play.

~O~O~O~O~O~

"C'mon Al! That bastard has to be around here _somewhere_!"

"B-but Brother… shouldn't we just leave him alone? I mean, after what he told us yesterday… we shouldn't be going to _find_ him… we should just leave it as it is…"

"Shut up, Al! This is like _Mom_… He can't just leave people behind without warning, okay?"

Roy heard the familiar voices and, as he raised an eyebrow, he quickened his pace.

What were the _Elrics_ still doing here? Usually they didn't stay for too long…_especially _on the military base.

Roy _had _to find out what was going on.

As he turned the corner, the blond alchemist nearly bumped into him, with a suit of nervous armor in tow.

"_Hello_, Fullmetal… where are your short legs taking you off to _this _time around?" Roy questioned sarcastically.

Ed instantly seethed with anger, and was about to clap his hands together, but Al stopped him.

"Stop Brother! We can't hurt the Colonel!" the younger boy pleaded.

Ed gave a grunt, but nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess you're _right _Al…" He muttered.

He then looked up at the Colonel,

"Have you seen the General anywhere? We kinda wanted to talk to him." Ed asked as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his black pants.

Roy gave a roll of his eyes at the very reference to his cousin.

"Yeah… the bastard is in his office down the hall… you can hear it from here." Roy said, pointing half-heartedly in its general direction.

Ed gave a nod, and then turning back to look at his brother, thanked him and went off down the hall.

Roy couldn't help but just look at them, feeling nothing but an obvious confusion. Today was going to be a weird day…. He could feel it.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Ed's ears picked up the beautiful violin music that was coming from down the hall and he quickened his pace to catch up with it.

But once they reached the outside of the door, Ed hesitated.

"Well Brother… aren't you going to go in?" Al asked.

Ed just paused, listening to the music.

"Yeah Al… just gimme a second…"

Ed realized that, even though he had an urge to speak with the Lieutenant General, he didn't know what he was going to say… Perhaps he'd rant about family or why he should tell Roy about what was going on… he couldn't be sure… but he just hoped that the words would come to him once he went in.

"Nii-san?"

"Yeah, Al… come on." He said, knocking firmly on the door with his right hand.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Arturo stopped playing once he heard the sound of knocking on his door.

"Come in." he said, gently placing his violin back down on the desk.

Ed and Al entered cautiously… their eyes wide at the sight of the musical instruments and the messy pages of music.

"What are you doing?" Al inquired.

"My alchemical research." Arturo answered, "I code mine in _song…_ unlike Little Roy who has no artistic talent whatsoever... besides doodles on important military documents…"

Ed nodded, looking extremely impressed.

"That's pretty neat." He said, glancing down at the book.

Ed was about to get extremely distracted when Al gave him a nudge in the ribs.

"Brother! Didn't you have something you wanted to _tell _the Lieutenant General?"

Arturo's eyes moved towards the younger alchemists and he tilted his head like a confused, yet amused dog.

"Well Fullmetal? What is it?"

As Ed looked at the Lieutenant General, a smirk crawled over the older man's face… one that distinctly reminded Ed of the Bastard Colonel.

Ed felt his fists clench together and his hands shook violently.

"I… I…"

Arturo leaned in closer.

"I can't believe that you'd pull this kind of _SHIT!_" Ed roared, "It's like something the Colonel would do!"

Arturo leaned back; a smirk lining his face as Ed kept going.

"DAMMIT! Why are all adults crazy, Al? I don't understand it!" He shouted, turning to his younger brother, "Seriously! It's like when Hughes died! Adults always think they can hide things! It's not _OKAY _Al... It's like…like when Mom died…"

Al gave a choking gasp.

"Brother…"

"NO AL! He can't leave the Colonel to guess this kind of thing! Because that's just shit! The Colonel _may _be a bastard, but even _he _deserves to know about this!" Ed shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the Lieutenant General, "He _HAS _to tell the Colonel!"

Arturo looked at Ed, closed his eyes, then opened them again.

"Is that all you have to say to me, Fullmetal?" he asked.

Ed huffed,

"Didn't you hear _anything _I said to you?" the prodigy snapped, "You can't leave your cousin in the dark like that! You're gonna die without giving him any warning! That's not right!"

Arturo stood up,

"Roy will find out when the time is right." He said calmly, "Now… if you excuse me… I have to go find Lieutenant Hawkeye and speak with her."

He got up from the desk and walked past the younger alchemist.

Ed's hand clenched into a fist and he launched himself at the taller man.

Arturo turned his head to the side as his eyes gleamed. In one swift movement and shift of his feet, he dodged the attack.

"I wouldn't suggest assaulting your superior officers…" he said, "_Someone _could get hurt. But anyway… it was a pleasure talking to you, Fullmetal."

He then left the office without another word.

"Are we going to go after him, Nii-san?" Al questioned.

Ed glanced at the door, lost in his own thoughts…and shook his head.

There was something in the Lieutenant General's eyes that almost warned him.

"There's nothing we can do, Al… If that's the choice the Lieutenant General is going to make… I can understand…" he said, "Sometimes hiding things are necessary. Besides… you know how the Bastard Colonel is… He's an idiot."

Al just gave a silent nod.

"Okay, Nii-san…"

~O~O~O~O~O~

Roy was, for once, diligently working at his desk when the Lieutenant General walked in.

His raven hair instantly bristled and his eyes dilated as he watched the man like a feral wolf.

_What does he want __now__? _

Arturo didn't seem to notice it, but made his way directly to the blonde Lieutenant's desk.

She looked up as a concerned expression crossed her countenance.

"May I help you, Sir?" she asked, standing up and saluting him respectfully.

Arturo just looked at her,

"Lieutenant, could I speak with you for a moment?" he asked.

Hawkeye was taken aback for a second, but gave a nod.

"Of course, Sir." She said, standing up.

She then glanced back at the slack jawed Colonel.

"I'll be back soon." She said, saluting him and following the General out of the office.

Roy studied them as they left his office.

Something was going on… and he didn't like it.

The others in the office glanced between the pair that had just left and the Colonel.

Havoc stifled a snicker, but Roy instantly glared at him sharply.

"Don't say a word or I'll dock your paycheck…" The Colonel threatened.

Havoc's jaw dropped.

"H-hey! That's not fair!" He said, "_I'm_ the one who should be complaining!"

Breda just patted the younger man's arm.

"It'll be okay…" He said, "It'll be okay…"

~O~O~O~O~O~

Hawkeye looked up at him curiously.

"What do you need me for, Sir?" she asked, looking at him worridly, "Is everything all right?"

Arturo hesitated and shook his head.

"No Lieutenant… not everything was all right…" he said, "But now isn't the time to discuss it…"

Hawkeye looked a bit flustered for a moment, but she nodded.

"Come to my apartment after work, and we'll discuss it there." She said casually.

Arturo gave a sad smile.

"Thank you, Lieutenant… I can always rely on you." He said contentedly.

The General gave her a thankful salute and she returned it.

"I'm happy to help, Sir." She said returning the smile.

"All right… you're dismissed, Lieutenant… I'll see you later then… after your shift." He said.

Hawkeye gave a nod as she went to reopen the door of the Colonel's office.

As she went to push the door open, she was hit by some resistance, and she gave a small sound of confusion.

Arturo tilted his head to the side and pushed along side of her.

With a great force, they forced the door open as yelps were heard from the other side.

"Wh-what the-?" The Lieutenant asked, seeing Furey, the Colonel and several pieces of radio equipment sprawled on the floor, "Sir… were you _spying _on me?"

Furey gave a frightened squeak and as quickly as he could, he retreated back to the sanctuary of his desk.

Roy instantly found his footing and stood up defiantly.

"NO!" he said, "I wasn't spying on you… I was spying on that_ bastard_!"

He pointed an accusing finger at Arturo who just gave a sigh, looking at the damaged equipment.

"You're going to have to pay for that, Roy… besides, spying on a Superior Officer is a violation of one's privacy…" he said, "I could write you up for that…"

Roy gave a growl.

"Yeah, well… Why are you asking the Lieutenant _out _then?" he asked, "I heard that you guys had plans tonight at her apartment…"

Hawkeye instantly looked embarrassed, and Arturo became angry.

"That's none of your concern, Roy…" he barked, "Besides, there are more important things that your petty grudges. You really should grow up, _Little Roy_."

The Colonel snorted,

"Whatever… just get out of my office, _Sir…_" he said spitefully.

Arturo only gave a roll of his eyes and sighed.

"I'll see you later, Lieutenant." He said, smirking at her, then closing the door of the office behind him.

Hawkeye watched him go, and turned to the Colonel, her pistols cocked back and the safety off.

"L-Lieutenant, What's the meaning of-?"

Before he could say any more, several shots were fired at the sides of his head and he froze; sweat beginning to bead the top of his brow.

All of the men in the office stared.

_What had the Colonel done now?_

"Wh-what did _I _do?" he asked.

The Lieutenant glared at him with her burning, auburn eyes.

"Sir… I believe that you should treat your superior officers with more respect." She stated, "Because…because… you're being ignorant, Sir."

Roy looked at her with disbelief as she sat down at her desk and continued working without another word.

The Colonel looked between the men working and the Lieutenant.

They just glanced back at him, then like nervous mice, went back to their work.

Roy gave a glance about the room as he leaned his elbows against his desk. He wasn't down yet, and superior officer or not, Roy wasn't going to let him get away with spreading more pain to those he cared about.

After all… _all_ higher-ups were corrupt.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Arturo walked up to the Lieutenant's door and swallowing nervously, he knocked firmly. In one of his hands, he held a bouquet of flowers and the other fell loosely at his side.

He waited and gave a startled jump when Hawkeye answered the door. She gave a gentle smile as she looked up at him. Her auburn eyes drifted to the flowers.

"For me?" she asked with an amused smirk.

Arturo gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah… old habit, I guess." He said, "It just wouldn't seem right to show up to your place empty handed…"

The Lieutenant gave a small laugh and opened the door so he could come in.

"Thank you, Sir." She said as he handed her the flowers.

Arturo looked at her and gave a sigh.

"Please cut out the formalities… it makes me feel bad." He pleaded.

Hawkeye nodded with understanding.

"If you say so." She answered.

Arturo gave a nod as he watched her. She went to the sink and filled up a vase with water so she put the flowers in it. Just watching her made him smile.

"You really grew up." He said, giving her a smirk.

Hawkeye looked back and gave him a puzzled glance.

"That was an _odd _thing to say." She said, "You really _have _been up North for way too long."

Arturo laughed, rubbing the back of his neck again.

"Yeah, it would seem that way, wouldn't it?" he asked, "All that snow seems to be going to my head."

Hawkeye gave a soft laugh,

"I wouldn't say that." She said, "But apparently _you _have something to say…"

Arturo grew nervous and he shifted from one foot to another.

Hawkeye easily spotted her Superior Officer's unease and she looked at him concerned.

"Arturo, you've told me many things." She said gently, "What is it?"

The Lieutenant General opened his mouth to respond, but instead of finding the right words, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the worn, leather book with sheet music in it.

Hawkeye eyed it, then looked back at Arturo.

"This isn't what I think it is, right?" she asked, swallowing a lump in her throat.

Arturo only gave a solemn nod.

"Yes Riza… it's _exactly _what you're thinking." He said, "I want you to give it to Little Roy when I'm gone…"

Hawkeye didn't take the book at first.

"Arturo, you're speaking very cryptically… which is unlike you." She said, "Where are you going, and what does Roy need a music book?"

Arturo laughed,

"It's not just _any _music book." Arturo stated, "It's much more valuable than that… My entire _life _is in that book."

Hawkeye's eyes widened and she looked absolutely horrified.

"Arturo, you _can't _be giving that away!" she said, "You need to continue you're research! My father always said-"

"An alchemist dies when they finish their research because they stop thinking… yes, I know." He said giving a tender smile towards her, "all great alchemists know it."

Hawkeye looked up at him, feeling surprisingly like a teenager again.

"Yes, but…"

The reality hit her and she closed her eyes, hoping that he wouldn't confirm what she was thinking.

The General only gave a sigh.

"Yes Riza… I have cancer and I'm dying." He said, turning away from her… afraid to see her reaction.

He heard the Lieutenant take a shaky breath and he could only clench his fists at his sides.

"How long have you known?" She asked, looking back at him.

Arturo still had his back turned to her as he answered.

"Since Ishbal." He answered, "But that's not important… I need you to take care of Roy… you need to keep him on track. After all… you're like my sister… and blood is thicker than the rain that makes him useless."

He smiled as Hawkeye's eyes filled with a definite understanding. The same understanding that she had when she was first assigned underneath him during that terrible war.

He gave a respectful salute and then added the one last thing that he felt was extremely appropriate.

"That's an order."

Hawkeye nodded as she gave a salute.

"Yes, sir."

Arturo felt tears well in his eyes and he pulled her into an embrace.

"Thanks, Riza." He said, "Thank you so much…"

The tender moment didn't last long. A loud crash was heard from outside and the pair jumped.

"Hold on, I'll go check it out." Arturo said as he donned his gloves and headed outside.

His eyes widened as he spotted, not a burglar, but his cousin laying sprawled out on the ground underneath a tree that peered into Hawkeye's window.

"What are you _doing_?" Arturo asked, giving a laugh as he lowered his hands and crossing them over his chest.

"I should be asking _you _the same question, you Bastard!" Roy snapped, jumping to his feet, "I saw you hugging her!"

Arturo rolled his eyes,

"You really don't get it, do you, _Little Roy_…" he said shaking his head.

Hawkeye soon joined him and she was as startled as he was.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" she asked, looking disappointed.

"I was just here to protect you from _him_!" Roy said as he pointed an accusing finger at the Lieutenant General.

Hawkeye glanced at Arturo who only gave a shrug.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Roy-boy… but I think that fall from the tree really killed a few much-needed brain-cells." He snickered.

Roy blushed with embarrassment.

"Sh-shut up!" He growled.

Arturo laughed,

"Really, Roy?" he questioned, "Well, I won't ask any more questions. C'mon, let's get you back home… You must be drunk."

Roy looked at his cousin, completely offended.

"I'm not drunk!" he shot back.

Arturo only led Roy back to his car, putting his arm around his shoulder.

"C'mon Roy… perhaps we should head back to Mom's bar." He said, "You really need a drink."

Roy pulled away sharply.

"Don't touch me! I don't need to spend any more time with you." He argued.

Arturo only nodded,

"All right…" he said, seemingly unfazed, "But you shouldn't be spying on the Lieutenant like that. You're gonna look like some kind of pervert."

Roy only rolled his eyes,

"Why am I even _listening _to you?" he asked, "Besides, I don't need to be berated by you! I'm all grown up, geez."

Arturo only gave a nod.

"All right, whatever." He answered, "Just take me home…"

Arturo gave yet another nod.

"All right, Roy." He said nonchalantly, "Just show me where you live."

Roy sat in the passenger's seat and crossed his arms over his chest with a grunt.

"Fine."

Arturo didn't respond at all, but just started up the car and began driving.

It was silent most of the way and Roy would only speak when giving the necessary directions. Arturo didn't say a word, but only did as his cousin told him.

When they reached Roy's home, the Colonel got out of the car.

"I'll see you later, Roy." Arturo said giving a smile.

Roy snorted,

"Whatever." He said, heading back to his front door.

Arturo gave a sigh, but called after his cousin.

"Hey, Roy…"

The Colonel turned back and glanced at the Lieutenant General.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking irritated.

"I just have a bet for you." He said.

Roy rolled his eyes, but walked back to the car.

"What? Are you thinking of other ways to humiliate me?" He muttered, "I mean, you've done it a thousand times already…"

Arturo shook his head,

"Nah, nothing like that." He said, "Actually, if you win… I'll leave early to go to the North."

Roy's attention was fully captured at this point.

"R-really?" he asked, "Well, what is it?"

The Colonel lit up as he leaned into the car through the side window.

"Well, I was thinking that we could play a game of chess…" he said.

Roy nodded,

"Yeah…_and_…"

Arturo continued,

"If you win, I'll leave tomorrow to go back up North… but if _I _win, you have to spend _one day _with me." The General said.

Roy nodded without thinking.

"Yeah, definitely! When are we playing… tonight?" The Colonel asked eagerly.

Arturo shook his head,

"No." He said, "Tomorrow, okay?"

Roy nodded fervently.

"Yeah! The sooner the better!" He said.

_Anything to get him to go home and out of my sight! _The Colonel hoped.

Arturo nodded,

"All right… well, good night, Roy." He said, as he drove away.

Once his cousin was out of sight, Roy jumped up and down.

This would be _too _easy. He loved chess! There was no way he could lose!

_Oh, could life get any better? _

With that thought in mind, the Colonel headed back into his home with a wide grin on his face.

Perhaps things were starting to look up after all. After all, how bad could things get if his obnoxious cousin was gone?

((A/N: Thanks for the alerts and review that I got! It really encourages me to keep going! I treasure what you guys think of this fic! Keep them coming! :) ))


	12. Unforgivable

**Disclaimer:** I only own Arturo and Mr. Momo… Hiromu Arakawa owns FMA and the wonderful characters that embody it.

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 11: Unforgivable **_

"_When its time to live and let die, and you can't get another try. Something inside this heart has died, you're in ruins…"_

_~ 21 Guns (Green Day)_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Flashback))

Screaming and crying came from every direction as dust was blown through the dirty streets. There was gunfire everywhere. At each blast, the Colonel took a silent note as he wiped his brow with the back of his gloved hand.

_Everywhere_…

The sound haunted him, even after he had long grown used to them. There was something empty about the city around him, something noticeably _hollow _about where he was. It was sad, really: all the destruction that was brought upon these, supposedly, _savage_ people.

He gave a sigh.

"There's nothing to be done about it now…" he muttered to himself.

It hadn't taken long for him to become a machine, one that brought death and destruction at the sound of a crisp snap.

People from every direction would fall to the ground, their bodies twitching and convulsing; their faces lined with agony as electricity coursed through their systems, frying their nerves like copper wire.

All he could do was wince, or turn his head to keep the image from burning into his mind… but nothing helped. The screams were all that lingered… and their eyes. He couldn't forget those either.

The dead stares that looked up at him… sometimes their eyeballs fried under the Ishballan heat. It was a horrid sight, but it happened.

When the sun went down, and it became much colder, the night troops were sent out to their posts.

Arturo gathered by the fire to warm his hands as he stuffed his Watt-cloth gloves in his pockets.

Hawkeye sat next to him, a mug of water clutched in her hands.

As he stared into the flames, he only thought of one person.

"I wonder how Roy is doing…"

Hawkeye's words broke through his thoughts and he turned to her with a startled look.

"What about Roy?" the Colonel asked, almost tripping over his own words.

The cadet gave a shrug, but looked almost embarrassed at the question… or whom she asked it to.

"I'm just wondering how he is." She said, "I heard that all the state alchemists were sent to war, and I know that Roy is only a Major…"

"So you're worried." Arturo said, giving her a warm smile as he finished her sentence, "I get it. I've been thinking of the same thing."

"I mean… I can't help but think that everything that happened is all my fault." The cadet murmured as the two soldiers stared into the fire.

It was at that that the Colonel laughed genuinely for the first time since the decree had been distributed.

Hawkeye, along with others sitting around the fire, glared at him, looking rather peeved.

"What's so funny, Sir?" she questioned.

"I just don't know why you'd think it was _your_ fault…" Arturo said giving her a rather sad smile, "You're just following orders with intentions to protect Roy… I'd say that's the most honorable thing you could do."

Hawkeye gave a sigh, staring back into the flames with a burning intensity.

"I know…" she replied with an uncharacteristic coldness, "But I mostly feel responsible for what's happening to Roy… Alchemists have been turned into killing machines, and _I _was the one who gave him my father's secret of Flame Alchemy. I watched my father change, and I know Roy will change…"

Arturo watched as her expression slowly broke from regret and exhaustion. The Colonel moved closer to her, put an arm over her trembling shoulders.

"I don't want him to become a monster for what _I _did to him…" she mumbled, leaning into him.

Arturo gave a sigh.

"I doubt Roy will become a monster," he said, "He's too much of a soft-hearted fool to ever become a monster. I should know."

He felt her shift her position against his shoulder, and now it was Arturo's turn to stare into the flames.

He hoped that what he was telling her was true… but if Roy were to become a monster, it wouldn't be her fault. That he knew. Everything was _his _fault, after all.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Days went by like these, only growing worse.

Promotions were handed out constantly because of the need to fill empty ranks of killed commanding officers.

Before he knew it, Arturo no longer found himself to be a Colonel, but rather a Brigadier General.

Things emptied out as men constantly returned to the base without their comrades; their eyes empty, hollow shells of who they once were.

Young, reckless boys became men with tears and blood in their eyes, never to be the same again.

The Brigadier General would mull over the paperwork that he had to do, his frustration only growing in size and fueling the flames of his anger.

_I should be out there! I should be out on the field with my men! The men I sent to their deaths. All of those brilliant young alchemists!_

His fists clenched, he slammed them into his desks, getting startled glances from his younger subordinates. As he allowed the pain to sink into his hands, he began coughing violently.

_Damn dust is finally getting into my lungs…_

"I-is everything all right, Sir?" one of them asked meekly.

Arturo just stood up, gathering himself.

"I need to go for a walk…" he muttered darkly, as his black hair fell into his eyes.

No one questioned him as he walked out to wander aimlessly around the base. His restless legs brought him to a nearby building.

He gave a shaky sigh, as he walked in, pushing aside the plastic door that blocked the entryway.

The Brigadier General wasn't clear on _why _he was there… but rather a force had pulled him to his destination.

And then he looked at where he had ended up.

Table after table held the casualties. Crimson coloring covered the floor and he could smell the musty iron in the air.

Yep… it was a morgue all right.

Arturo gave a sigh as a cold shiver ran up his spine as he looked down at the cadaver next to him.

With intrigue, he glanced at the body covered with a cloth, like most of the others.

"They didn't even get to examine the guy…" Arturo thought regretfully

It was the chain of a pocket-watch… an _alchemist's_ pocket-watch.

Arturo flinched slightly, as he realized that _he_ was the cause of this young man's death.

"God… such _promise_…" he mumbled.

He coughed harshly, leaning against the table where the young man's body was, and part of the cloth slipped off and a tuft of black hair was uncovered.

_Black hair_…

Arturo's eyes widened,

"N-no…" he stammered, backing away from the table, "NO!"

Tears filled his eyes and poured down his face as his mind began to piece itself together.

"No… this can't be happening! Not to him… Take _ANYONE _but him!" Arturo pleaded, "Please!"

His legs gave out beneath him and he leaned against the table for support.

"Not Roy… please… Our mother'll kill me!"

As Arturo cried into the table, footsteps were heard behind him.

"Brigadier General, Sir… are you all right? Sir, what's the matter?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Arturo roared, completely out of his mind, "THEY KILLED ROY! No… _I've_ killed him!"

He howled like a crazed wolf as the young officer tugged on his arm.

"Please, Sir… let's get out of here. I'm getting creeped out," he said, trying to pull him out of the morgue, "This isn't Colonel Mustang… It's someone else! Your cousin looks different!"

Arturo kept trying to pull away as other officers joined desperately to remove him.

"LET GO OF ME!" The Brigadier General snarled, "OR I'LL-"

He broke into a fit of violent coughing, and his hand slowly curled into its familiar snapping position, but just as his fingers were about to cause the necessary friction, a sharp pain hit him in the leg, and he stumbled clumsily.

Soon things started to get very fuzzy and Arturo felt his legs slowly give out from under him.

"I-I'm sorry, Sir…" his subordinate said, nervously grasping his hat as he watched his superior officer black out.

~O~O~O~O~O~

When Arturo woke, all he saw was white… blurry white…

He blinked several times to clear his eyes. His mouth was dry and he tried to sit up, but his arms were shaking.

"Please, don't try to sit up, Sir."

Arturo couldn't help but be confused. It was an unfamiliar voice, and things were a bit _too _quiet for his liking.

"Wh-where am I?" he asked, his eyes beginning to clear.

He saw a young, blonde girl standing over his bed, and he felt a cool dampness suddenly touch his forehead.

"You're in a hospital, General." She said, her voice gentle and sweet; it reminded him of the sweet music that he used to code his alchemy in.

Oh God… his alchemy… the war…

He had to get back out there.

"Well, I shouldn't be in here… I'm _fine!"_ he muttered as he tried to make his way out of the bed. As he reached the end of the bed, his lungs seized and he began coughing again.

_What the hell is wrong with my fucking lungs?_

"S-sir, _please_!" The nurse pleaded, "Get back into the bed! You're very sick!"

Arturo looked up at her, "I'm not sick!" he muttered, "I'm just fine. I just got dust in my lungs, that's all!"

The nurse shook her head fervently. "No, there's been an outbreak of tuberculosis because of the troop's close conditions… and you have it, Sir," she mumbled, her hands wringing the front of her apron tightly.

"Tuberculosis…?" Arturo breathed, as he began coughing once again, "What does _that _mean? Am I gonna die? Why didn't I know about this? If my troops are contracting this disease, I should _know_ about it!"

He was beginning to get angry. He didn't like being left out of the loop, especially if it was relevant to the lives of his men.

"Of course, Sir… I'm sorry." The nurse said, looking more nervous than ever as tears began to well up in the sides of her blue eyes.

Arturo looked up at her and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"I don't mean to take my anger out on you, sweetheart… I'm sorry." He said, feeling tired, "I'm just…_worried_ that's all… my cousin's out there, y'know? I'm worried about him. It's my fault he's out there…I just don't want to lose him."

The nurse sat down at his bedside,

"I understand." She said, "It sounds like your cousin is very important to you."

Arturo chuckled, "Yeah… He is." He answered simply, "Little Roy… he's like my brother. Our mother always thought so, anyway… and we always fought like we were."

The nurse just listened as he talked, laughing with him as he told the stories of their childhood… keeping his mind off the war and the lives currently being lost on the field.

She was his favorite source of company until the military sent him back to Central Headquarters a week later… under the Fuhrer's orders.

"No! I won't leave! Put me back on the field!" He snarled, "I can fight! I'm a fucking Brigadier General for cryin' out loud!"

"I'm sorry Brigadier General Mustang, Sir… but orders are orders." The man said as he read the letter from the Fuhrer, "Fuhrer Bradley wants you to report to the Central City hospital to recover and then return back to work in Central. He no longer wants you on the field. Your troops have been reassigned to other platoons as are needed."

"What about Cadet Hawkeye?" Arturo asked, his eyes wide.

The man nodded, "Yes… her included." He said halfheartedly, "In fact, every one of your soldiers is no longer under your command. You've been ordered to go home."

Arturo let out a sigh as he started to feel drowsy again.

He had been defeated.

"Fine… when am I being shipped out?" he asked, looking up at them as his nurse looked on with concerned eyes.

He laid back in his bed, propped up against the white pillows.

"Two days at the most." The man said, "Another officer will come, gather your things, and you will be put on the next train."

Arturo gave a tired nod.

"Fine…" he said, "Just tell them to look after my men… especially Roy and Hawkeye, understood?"

He glared at the man, since it was all he could muster the strength to do.

"Of course." He said, saluting Arturo and then leaving.

Arturo gave a sigh.

"I feel so damn useless…" he muttered irritably.

~O~O~O~O~O~

As was promised, he was shipped off two days later and a day after that, he was back in Central.

The Madame came to visit him every day, which made things a bit easier, but both of them knew that nothing would be all right until Roy was home and they knew he was in one piece.

Arturo sighed, looking out the window from the chair he was allowed to sit in.

_This damn war… how long is it going to last? _

He spent his time writing letters to his younger cousin and Cadet Hawkeye, his ex-girlfriend. It was his only joy hearing from them… but the letters were usually dark, describing what troubles they were experiencing. He was happy to hear that they had been united and were in the same area of patrol. Roy had also met up with one of his friends from the Academy, Maes Hughes.

Otherwise there wasn't much to report… war was war. Arturo knew this… he'd only seen it once before, but nowhere _near _this level.

He sighed regretfully, hoping that war didn't change Roy like it changed other men… because war destroyed people, and sometimes it was impossible to fix them.

((A/N: Thank you so much for keeping up with my feeble attempts at writing! I'm so privileged to have so many readers... *cries with joy*))


	13. The Price is Right

_**Disclaimer:**_ Blah, blah, blah… I don't own FMA… you know that… Only Arturo and Mr. Momo are mine. :P

_**Thicker Than Rain**_

_**Chapter 12: The Price is Right**_

"_Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power."_

_~ Unknown_

~O~O~O~O~O~

When Roy entered the office the next day, it almost seemed like nothing in this world could go wrong. Under his arm, he carried a wooden box—one that was oh-so-familiar to everyone present—and on his lips, he whistled a tune… which was something the Colonel did only when he was in an _extremely _good mood.

"Good morning, Sir." Hawkeye greeted, holding the usual stack of papers, "You're in an awfully good mood today." Seeing her superior officer like this almost bothered her; something just didn't seem right, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Roy smiled widely at her, "Ah, Lieutenant, today may be a good day. A _very _good day indeed!" he said, then burst into maniacal laughter, holding the box in his hand.

Hawkeye just eyed him suspiciously, wondering if she should shoot him now or later…

She decided on later, since if she shot him now, none of his paperwork would ever be finished, and Arturo wouldn't be too thrilled hearing about the murder of his cousin… even though she _did _make him that promise.

"Why is that, Sir?" Havoc whimpered, looking over from his desk with tears welling in his eyes, "Did you steal my latest girlfriend? Please don't tell me that you took Molly away from me…"

Roy looked over at Havoc grinning. "No!" He said grandly, "Better than that! My cousin may be leaving today!"

Things grew quiet in the office and Roy looked around, curious as to why the world seemed to have stopped.

"Well, that's too bad," Furey mumbled, "The Lieutenant General was a big help this morning. He helped me look over one of my experiments on the field radio… He was surprisingly knowledgeable."

"Yeah, the Lieutenant General got me a pack of cigarettes." Havoc said, grinning, "And he introduced me to Molly. Oh, I'm so happy!"

Roy looked at each of his officers as they spoke up.

"Th-this morning?" he yelped in shock.

A young girl popped her head into the window of the office.

"He saved my kitten from a tree!" she cheered.

Roy turned around, completely taken aback. "H-how did _you _get in here? Children aren't allowed on the military base! What in all of Amnestris is going on here?" he demanded, "There's no way he could accomplish all that work in one day—let alone this _morning!"_

"Well, you see _Little Roy,_ I had to get things done before I left… because everyone knows that _you're _the one who is going to win our little _challenge_, right?" Arturo said, smirking and leaning on his cousin's shoulder, weighing him down considerably.

Roy looked up and pushed him away in one quick motion. "Yeah, that's right!" Roy growled, "After this game, you won't know what hit you!"

Arturo laughed, patting his head. "We'll see about that, _Popcorn Colonel, _we'll see." Arturo said, pulling over a table and putting two chairs at each end of it.

Roy gawked, suddenly growing nervous. "W-wait…. We're playing…_NOW_?" he asked, as he tried to keep his voice from trembling.

Arturo looked at him, "Yeah, why not?" he asked, "You're not _scared_ are you, Roy-boy?"

Arturo broke into the Mustang-family smirk once again, scrutinizing his cousin with challenging eyes.

Roy felt his palms begin to sweat, and he discreetly wiped them against his uniform pants.

"Of course not!" Roy answered arrogantly, "I just have work to do before we can play _games_. Mental preparation is _key_ when going up against an enemy for battle!"

Arturo laughed, "No need to shoot back military strategies at me, _Colonel_." The Lieutenant General replied, "Besides, I _doubt_ you make this much fuss when playing against Grumman. He's told me about your games… What was the record? 1 win, 15 draws and _97_ losses… or maybe it was 98? I don't have the best memory, but… that's a _lot _of losses."

Roy seethed under his cousin's adjudicative gaze. "I'm not going to let you rush me into things, _Artie_!" Roy snapped, "Not this time! I'm going to take all the time I want and beat you once and for all!"

Arturo's fist tensed, but it disappeared quickly. He then stood up and coughed.

"All right, Roy." He said, still wearing that smirk as he leaned over the table to get in his cousin's face, "But I thought you'd want me gone as soon as possible…Your loss again, I suppose."

"The Colonel is right, there's work to be done around this office and getting distracted by a silly board game is no way to get anything accomplished." Hawkeye said, stepping calmly in between the two men.

Roy mentally sighed; once again, he found himself thankful for Hawkeye's existence.

"I say that you finish this game when everyone is off post and can watch it." She said matter-of-factly.

The Colonel felt his jaw drop as he looked at his Lieutenant with a betrayed expression.

Arturo just laughed heartily, pulling her into an embrace. "Oh Riza, I love the head that you have on your shoulders! Such beautiful brilliance stored in it!" He praised.

Riza blushed deeply though she looked at her superior officer apologetically, it seemed more out of embarrassment at that kind of public affection than anything.

Arturo released her as he coughed into the crook of his arm; his shoulders shook and his three braids jumped, as though they were startled by his sickness.

Hawkeye looked at him concerned, "I'll get you something to drink." She said, leaving the room and making her way to the water-fountain.

Roy bit back his irritation. He didn't like that hint of tenderness in his Lieutenant's voice, nor that hug.

She was aware of his feelings and he wasn't pleased with the attention she was giving his cousin… her ex-_boyfriend_.

The very _sound_ of it made Roy wince with burning jealousy.

_Arturo had beaten him to every girl he ever dated… why did _she_ have to be one of them?_

He shuddered and finally managed to gather himself and take a seat at his desk.

The small whispers of chatter that had broken out between his subordinates had finally stopped as Roy finally got to work.

Arturo watched his every movement, resembling a cat with feathers poking out of its mouth.

"Okay Roy… well, finish your work, and we'll finally have that chess game later. Don't get _too _nervous." He said, almost drawling.

He then made his way out of Roy's office, towards his own.

_This was gonna be fun. _

~O~O~O~O~O~

Hours passed quickly, though Roy didn't want them to.

He glanced at the clock every few seconds and until it got to the point where Hawkeye had threatened to remove it because he was being unproductive.

Once his shift was over—along with the rest of his team—everyone seemed to spring into action, setting up the chessboard and two chairs.

_I guess everyone was looking forward to this, weren't they?_

As if on cue, Arturo burst through the closed door of Roy's office, grinning like a celebrity as applause rang through the room.

Roy face-palmed, still wondering what undesirable circumstances he had gotten himself into.

He felt a pull and, stumbling clumsily, he realized that Arturo had pulled him tightly to his side and was grinning down at him.

"So Roy, are you ready to play some chess?" he asked sitting down.

Roy took his place adjacent from his cousin, giving a mental sigh.

"Yeah. I'm ready." He responded.

_This is the moment… you can finally get him out of your hair and get things back to normal… for the common good and your own sanity! _

Arturo looked at him casually, unaware of the mental pressure Roy was putting on himself.

He coughed again, looking slightly fatigued, but he smiled.

_A sign of weakness!_

"What color do you want?" his cousin's voice asked.

Roy looked down at the chessboard, carefully thinking over his decision.

"You can be white." He said, forfeiting the first move advantage.

_I don't need it. I'll beat him._

Arturo looked at him, slightly startled, but slowly the right side of his lip curled back into that amused smirk of his.

"Okay Roy… suit yourself." He replied, pushing the black pieces in Roy's direction and setting up his white pieces respectively.

One by one, they settled down with a wooden 'clack', and soon the battlefield was ready, and the two officers were ready to do battle.

Arturo made the first move, moving one of his pawns two spaces up from its previous position.

Roy made his move after a few seconds of thinking. Both officers' brains were moving quickly and move after move, piece after piece the board became littered with scattered pieces of different shapes.

Rooks, pawns, knights, and the all too vulnerable kings all had their places strategically on the black and pine-colored squares.

The soldiers that filled the room crowded room all watched as the moves were strategically made and pieces were taken off the board like captives of war.

Arturo then leaned back in his chair, moving his bishop two spaces to his left and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Check."

Roy studied the board quickly, his ebony eyes scanning over every square, every piece, taking in the situation he was in.

Sweat dotted his palms and forehead as he suddenly felt in true jeopardy.

He then saw an opening and took out the bishop with his knight.

"HAH!" Roy cheered, but Arturo just countered it, taking out another one of his pieces.

"Check, Roy." The Lieutenant General laughed.

Roy's face turned pale, and he looked down at the board.

_Damn… he's good._

The Colonel moved his piece, and watching his cousin's hand, Arturo moved and with one swift motion, the game was over… and Roy knew it.

"_Check-mate."_

The two words that rang in Roy's ears.

"N-no…i-it _can't _be!" Roy stammered, running his hands through his messy black hair.

Arturo just laughed, leaning back once again and coughing.

"Look at the board yourself." He wheezed, taking a sip out of the water that Hawkeye had brought for him.

Roy took the initiative and gave the board another look over.

He was right…

Roy lowered his head, realizing the defeat. It stung…badly. And the applause coming from his subordinates and the words of congratulations directed at his cousin didn't help.

Arturo stood up, shakily at first, but both of them were extremely stiff from their extended game, so Roy didn't give it too much thought.

"Don't worry, Roy… tomorrow will be a fun day! I already signed the papers for your day off!" he said, patting Roy firmly on the back, "And just for your knowledge, _my_ record against Grumman is 56 wins, 70 draws, and 60 losses. He's quite a chess player."

That didn't help at all.

"Anyway, you can pick me up at my apartment at 800 hours sharp. The Lieutenant can give you the address." He said, smiling and making his way to the door.

He watched as the Lieutenant General made his way out the door, followed by the rest of his subordinates, except Hawkeye.

"Are you all right, sir?" she asked, looking up at him with those auburn eyes.

Roy couldn't help but smirk at her.

"Of course, Lieutenant. Why _wouldn't_ I be?" he asked.

"Well, you just lost to the General." She said, "You seemed nervous about it… I know how you two have that _rivalry_."

Roy sighed.

Once again, she had hit the nail on the head.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant." He said, "I'll get over it… It's just _one _day with my cousin. I have warning, so I don't think it can be _too _bad."

Of course, that was a complete and total lie. He had no _idea _how bad things could get under his cousin's company… he'd probably end up in a ditch, stopping-dropping and rolling with mayonnaise covering his gloves.

Roy shuddered.

"Yeah…" he said, swallowing loudly, "It won't be that bad…"

_I hope…_

~O~O~O~O~O~

That night, Roy went to sleep with all sorts of horrors running through his head.

He could only hope that he wouldn't enter a pre-mature hell…. Because god only _knew_ what his cousin was scheming.

((A/N: Hey! Thanks for the review and the faves! You like me, you really like me! T_T ))


	14. Unwounded Soldiers Part I

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist… you guys know that!

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 13: Unwounded Soldiers (Part I) **_

"_In war, there are no unwounded soldiers." _

_~ Jose Narosky_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Flashback))

Roy came home near the end of the summer, along with the rest of the troops that had stayed behind to herd the others out of the Eastern Desert.

So many people had been lost… Even more were wounded, never to be the same.

Arturo would watch as they were brought into the hospital, some missing limbs, others crying out and clutching their sides with clotting blood oozing between their fingers.

Still, more loved ones crowded into the hospital, eager to find those they cared for.

Arturo was healing steadily, though the doctors had told him that he would never _fully _heal.

The alchemist had just chuckled, waving off the bad news.

"I had it coming." He had replied, "For killing all of those soldiers and innocent people."

Roy had walked in then, his face clean, but unshaven; his eyes sunken in to his young face.

Arturo had given a sigh, hoping Roy didn't hear any of it. His cousin was always the worrier of the family, and getting him worked up over nothing was wrong, so he just smiled pleasantly. Well, as pleasantly as he could, anyway.

The pair didn't say anything at first, only looking around the room with all the awkwardness of a first date.

However, it was Arturo that broke the silence, motioning to his cousin and pulling him into an embrace.

"It's good to see you safe and sound, Roy." He said his voice full of relief, "I was really worried."

Roy's eyes softened, but much to Arturo's disappointment, there was no trace of a smile on his cousin's face.

Roy mumbled something incoherent, and glanced backwards to the common sound of heavy footsteps coming up the hall.

_Must be carrying a stretcher._

Roy's fists clenched and he turned away from the door.

Curious as to _who _was on the stretcher, Arturo sat up and glanced out the door to see a familiar young blonde officer being carried down the hall towards the ICU.

Arturo's eyes widened in shock and he glanced sympathetically at Roy.

"Wh-what happened?" Arturo breathed.

Roy hesitated, his features strained as though he was holding back tears. Arturo was about to take back his prematurely asked question, but Roy blurted out an answer before he could.

"A-a building fell on top of her…a burning one… several layers of her back are completely destroyed." He mumbled, his tone trembling like his hands.

"A _building?"_

Arturo's breath hitched and he coughed loudly.

He clumsily reached for the water next to his hospital bed and took a sip until his throat settled down.

When he put the water back down, Roy was looking at him with a lamb's eyes.

Arturo smirked, "What are you looking at me like that for?" he asked, trying not to seem defensive, "I'm not _dying. _ I'm just choking on air, that's all… It just went down the wrong pipe."

His cousin seemed to settle back a little bit, but he still seemed on edge. Every small sound would make him jump and Arturo could only sit back and watch helplessly.

War did that to people; made them jumpy and emotional. Arturo had listened to the radio updates on the war every minute that it continued: every alchemist that was read off the list of the fallen felt like a stab into his soul. Because he had killed them.

Arturo gave a shudder; he remembered war and the carnage that went with it. He remembered _one _dreadful encounter with human destruction… That dismembered head, with the mouth peeled back in an empty, terrified, _soundless_ scream.

He shuddered, the familiar bile forcing itself up into his throat and he reached for his water, sipping at it to keep his sickness down.

Roy was eyeing him again, and Arturo just leaned back against the pillow.

Arturo studied his cousin for a moment.

"Roy… the _moment _I get out of here, we gotta get back to see mom and her tavern… 'cause I _really _need a drink." Arturo muttered truthfully.

~O~O~O~O~O~

It was a few days later before Arturo was finally released from the hospital.

He kept his records private and his condition away from Roy.

"_I'll tell him later_" is what he kept telling himself, but it was just buried in everything else.

Nevertheless, as was promised, they headed to Madame Christmas's tavern together to visit the familiar faces and _finally _arrive home together.

They met her as she was smoking a long-stemmed cigarette outside of the tavern, and she smiled, seeing her two boys return to her.

"What took ya so long?" she questioned, as she tapped at the cigarette with her index finger and took another puff.

Both officers gave a smile, relieved to find that their mother hadn't changed while they were gone, and the family shared their first embrace since Ishbal had met its end.

"I had a little _detour_ at the hospital." Arturo said, "It took them a while to let me out. Roy stayed with me."

The Madame smiled, "Artie, it was supposed to be _you_ looking after Roy-boy… not the other way around." She teased, "Anyway, come on in. Vanessa and the others have been nothing but train-wrecks since you've left… and the bar has missed you too."

Arturo and Roy both went into the tavern, taking their usual seats at the bar.

The girls smiled, and pulled them into well-deserved, well-missed hugs, congratulating them and praising them for coming home. Even some "thank-you's" were thrown into the mix of their busy chatter.

Madame Christmas poured them their drinks and set them down on the bar as she leaned heftily against it.

"So boys… how does it feel to be home?" she asked, looking at them intently.

Arturo gave a shrug and spoke first.

"It feels pretty good." He said, "But Roy spent more time on the field… I had gotten sick, so the Fuhrer had sent me back."

Her glance then shifted to Roy who looked _extremely _uncomfortable. The Madame knew not to ask.

"Well, let's not meddle on the past." She said, pouring each of them another drink, "I'll let you boys settle back in, and I'll see you in the morning. I'm gonna get the girls settled in for the night."

Arturo and Roy both mumbled their good-nights and turned back to nursing their drinks as she turned off the main lights.

Things were quiet now as the rest of the bar cleared out, leaving the two officers to their peace. Closing time at Madame Christmas's tavern was usually lonely, as they saw the locals return to their homes and the wives that were awaiting them there.

The fireplace began to dim as they sat there, disappearing like the footsteps that had, seconds ago, filled the room.

Arturo stood up wordlessly and threw another plank into the fire that had given him warmth so many years ago.

He stared into the fire for a few moments, and Hawkeye's condition came back into his memory and he gave a sigh.

She had become like a sister to him, even after they had broke up for unverified reasons.

_I just don't think this would work out for either of us. _

Of course, he had found out later on through the subtle hints she gave him. It was her love for Roy that led to the end of their relationship… something about the pair just seemed to fit, and even their mother agreed.

"Have you visited her at all?" Arturo asked, turning back to meet eyes with his younger cousin.

Roy looked startled at first, almost taken aback, but then his expression softened and he gave a quiet nod.

"Yeah… sometimes I go to visit her." He said, his voice quiet, "She get's really lonely sometimes. But I haven't gone lately."

Arturo returned to his seat and glanced over at Roy.

"Why not?" he asked, "She doesn't have anyone else, you know…What's stopping you?"

Roy tensed.

"I'm just…afraid to see her when she wakes up." He said, "She's been on so many medications that she's been out cold… but she'll be waking up soon, and I'm afraid to be there…"

Arturo's expression instantly changed to one of obvious confusion.

"Why would you say that?" he questioned, "She'll need you there when she wakes up. If they have her on so many medications, I'm sure she's in a lot of pain… It's not like _you _did it to her."

It was then that Roy looked up, tears streaming down his face and he bit back a sob.

"I lied," he cried, "There was no _building_ that fell on top of her… _I _was the one that caused her injuries. She asked me to burn her back because of the _alchemy_ that was concealed on it, so I did… but I didn't think she'd be in so much pain after-wards. I wasn't ready for her screaming and crying."

He broke off and wiped his eyes furiously as though he was a little boy again.

"I wasn't ready for _any_ of it… l-like the whole _fucking _war…" he wept.

He rested his arm against the bar and leaned his forehead against his elbow, crying into it.

Arturo sat next to him, rubbing his shoulders.

In his mind, he fumbled for words, but was unsuccessful. He hadn't thought that it would _destroy _Roy's life... then again, he hadn't thought of how long the war was going to be either.

_A couple of months_… that's all it was supposed to be. They were supposed to be in and out, especially with the Alchemists being put on the front lines.

But seeing Roy like this… jumpy, nervous and emotional… God… he was a veteran at age 20. Most kids his age were still going to school to jumpstart their careers… but not Roy. Roy _always _knew what he wanted to do… and he went for it. _Head on. _

Swallowing the lump in his throat, the older alchemist comforted his cousin until he calmed down.

"I'm sure she isn't angry at you. Riza isn't one to hold a grudge; you know that. And you did it for her own good. You were _protecting _her, and she asked you to do it." Arturo said, "You had a good intention… that's enough to hold back anger, right?"

Roy sniffled, "Yeah, I guess."

Arturo pat him firmly on the back, giving a soft, encouraging smile, but it disappeared slowly.

"Besides… you're not the only one who makes mistakes." He said.

Roy managed a grin.

"Yeah, no kidding Artie… you make _plenty _of 'em." The younger teased.

Arturo gave a slight, yet forced laugh.

"Yeah… I really do." He admitted darkly, "Maybe _too _many."

He swigged the rest of his drink and put the empty mug on the counter of the bar, pushing it to the side.

Roy blinked, unsure of how to respond as his cousin gave a huff, staring into space.

"A-Arturo?" He asked meekly, "Is there something you wanna talk about?"

The older tensed up.

He wasn't sure _how _to respond… he really wasn't.

_How do you put the murder of thousands of innocent people, into words?_

"You can't…" Arturo muttered to himself, "You just can't…"

"I can't…_what?"_ Roy asked.

"I-I don't know where to start." Arturo answered.

"Well, start from the beginning." Roy said, "That's always a good place."

Arturo nodded blankly, his mind only halfin the current conversation.

"It started with that meeting…" Arturo said, "You know, the one with the upper division officers."

Roy's face turned scornful.

"Yeah, that's when that _bastard_ suggested that the State Alchemists be sent to Ishbal to kill all those innocent people." Roy spat.

Arturo felt the stone in his stomach sink lower into his intestines and he swallowed again.

"Um… Roy… There's something I have to tell you about that _bastard _that sent the alchemists…" Arturo said, passing the point of no return.

Roy turned towards at his cousin at once, still holding a half-empty mug. Even though he didn't speak a word, his intense gaze was enough.

"I-I was the one that suggested the alchemists to the Fuhrer."

An awkward silence passed between the two alchemists and until there was a sound of breaking glass, nothing was said.

"Y-you're joking, _right_?" Roy asked, fumbling for the words through his disbelief, "This is another one of your sick, _twisted_ jokes, right?"

Roy tried to break into a smile, but there was no hint of it on his cousin's face.

"No, Roy… not this time."

The Major just stared, then his half-hearted smile melted into a sneer.

"It's not right to _kid _about that war, Arturo." Roy snapped, "A lot of good people were _lost _out there on the field, and you're _joking _about it? I-"

The older Mustang stood up, towering over his cousin.

"I AM_ NOT_ JOKING ABOUT THIS, ROY!" He snapped, his fist clenched and to chest level.

He paused, glaring at Roy with a deathly rage, took several deep breaths, and lowered his fist slowly.

"I'm not kidding about this, Roy…" he said, calmer now, "_I _was the one who told Bradley to send out the State Alchemists."

Arturo hung his head, ashamed of the confession as he collapsed onto the bar-stool.

"I don't expect you to forgive me," he said, "I just want it to be over with…"

Roy shook his head like a wet dog,

"Well, I'm sorry… but it'll _never _be over with…" He said grudgingly, "Not for me… not for Riza… not for the families that lost their loved ones! I-I mean, Riza looked at me, wondering why I had become this murdering machine… and I had no answer to give her, Arturo. _NONE_! In addition to that, saying 'I was following orders' just won't cut it…"

Arturo couldn't speak. He just coughed and tried to think of a response, but none came to him. Everything Roy said was right.

"Are you finished?" Arturo asked, glancing up at his cousin tensely.

Roy gave a growl, "I'll _never _be done." He snapped, "I-I just can't believe my own _flesh and blood _would do something like that… _especially_ you, Arturo. I thought you were better than that."

Arturo just stood up and walked out of the tavern without another word, slamming the door behind him.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Word seemed to spread fast about the war and Arturo's part in it. Both alchemists and non-alchemists turned again him and anyone that interacted with him.

As Arturo pushed roughly through the crowd, he heard Roy give a yelp from behind him.

A rock had been thrown at him, hitting him square in the temple. A small trail of blood trickled down the side of his face, gathering in his ear.

Arturo gave a snarl, pushing the man aside and pulling Roy through the crowd, all the meanwhile, putting pressure on his cousin's head.

"I've had enough of this…" He snarled.

Guilt and anger sank into his gut and he pondered ways of protecting Roy and possibly their adoptive mother.

_What's in a name…well, _everything.

And that's what he had to change.

Going to the main office, he filed a report for a name change. If he could shed the Mustang name and clear it of all _his _wrongdoings, Roy should be safe…

_Right? _

He wrote the letter to the Fuhrer and after it was sent, all he could do was wait.

~O~O~O~O~O~

A week of hell passed and nothing came in the mail.

Arturo paced back and forth, refusing to leave his office until his request was granted. He knew Roy wasn't going to like it, but the Madame would understand… or so he hoped.

"Um… Brigadier General, Sir?"

A young officer stood at the door, his hand snapped at the usual forty-five degree angle against his forehead.

Arturo spun around quickly, causing the young man to jump, his hair standing on end like that of a frightened cat, making his unease even more obvious than it was before.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he turned to the young man.

"At ease, soldier." He said, calmly.

He stifled a cough in his throat, and stood up straight.

"What message have you brought me?" he asked, his gaze strong and unyielding, hiding his weakness.

"A-a message…f-from the Fuhrer, Sir." The officer replied, holding out a thin, cream-colored envelope.

Arturo snatched it quickly out of the young man's hand. Seeing the officer recoil, he offered a thin, grim smile of assurance.

"Thank you." Arturo replied, "You're dismissed."

The man snapped to attention once again, and scrambled down the hall.

Arturo closed the door of his office and his attention focused fully on the letter.

On the back was the crimson seal of the Fuhrer. He smirked as he broke it with a papery snap and carefully went to his desk to read the letter. After he finished it, he leaned back in his chair.

Arturo sat still for a moment feeling stunned and unsure of how to respond. Sure, he was glad that everything he requested was granted, but _another _promotion? Other officers _already _hated him enough for what he did, and having jealous rivals, beating down his door wouldn't help anything.

He shook his head, trying to scatter his own thoughts like mice. He had other, more _important _things to ponder, such as his new assignment up at North Briggs. He smirked. It was going to be exciting; besides, he heard that the Brigadier General Armstrong was quite a hottie.

_Life isn't all __that_ _bad, I suppose…_

~O~O~O~O~O~

He left early in the morning. To think, it was the last time he'd be leaving the tavern, and Roy and their mother weren't even there to see him off.

Though he was disappointed, he was also glad. To tell the truth, he was never good at saying 'good-bye', cliche as it was. The last thing he needed was to have second thoughts.

He slung his things over his shoulder and headed out the door, not looking back. A terrible rock sank to the bottom of his stomach, but he wouldn't cry… no, he liked to think that he was too tough for that.

Little did he know that Madame Christmas watched from the shadows behind the bar. She always knew that this day would come… but she didn't expect it to be here so _soon._

~O~O~O~O~O~

Mechanically, he walked to the train station. Central City looked so different from what he remembered. Every small detail seemed to jump out at him screaming and crying of the murders he had committed. Soldiers and their families often lived in Central City, and it stung to realize that almost every family in this city had lost a loved one. Ishbal had been a massacre… and not only on one side.

Further and further, he was being pushed out by his own thoughts. He had grown up in this city, and it hurt to leave… but it had to be done. For his family's sake, it had to be done.

Finally, the train station came into view and, after purchasing his ticket, he took a seat on one of the benches placed on the platform.

The train came soon enough, and he was off, _seemingly_, for the last time.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Station by station, people got off the train, until _he _was the last passenger left.

_I'm gonna have to get used to this…_

Breaking into a violent coughing fit, he suddenly could _feel _the temperature drop and his blood start to freeze.

Pulling his jacket over his shoulders, he tried to adjust himself. He had heard _plenty _about Briggs Fortress. It was the least-requested place to be assigned and only the toughest of officers made it.  
"Survival of the Fittest" was the rule up at Briggs; that well-known fact excited a part of him. It'd be a challenge, and it would help get his mind off everything that happened. A _new start_, if you will.

When the train stopped, he gathered up his belongings and, shivering slightly, stepped off the train.

He glanced around, and a frozen wind rushed past him.

He winced and suddenly a form emerged from the darkness. She was a tall, blonde woman, with no-nonsense eyes that matched the very snow and rock that surrounded them.

Arturo grinned.

_They were _right!_ She_ is_ a major hottie! _

"You must be Brigadier General Armstrong." He said, saluting her properly, "A _pleasure _to meet you."

She returned the salute and snapped it back to her sides.

"And you must be Brigadier General Ligue." She said stiffly, "and the pleasure is _yours_."

They stood silent for a moment, each examining and studying the other, and then she spoke.

"Come, I'll send one of my subordinates to show you around." She said, "And wear this… you'll need it."

She tossed him a black, fur-lined jacket that reached down to the top of his boots.

He chuckled sheepishly, slipping it on over his uniform.

"Thanks." He replied.

She didn't respond right away, but only gave a huff and continued walking back towards the main gate.

He watched her for a few moments, the Mustang smirk crawling over his face.

_Oh yeah, I'm gonna get to like her..._ he thought, completely amused


	15. Unwounded Soldiers Part II

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA… Only Arturo and Mr. Momo. :D

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 13: Unwounded Soldiers (Part II)**_

He was assigned an office in the Eastern face of Briggs and, in all truth, he couldn't complain. The mountain range was gorgeous, not that he'd tell anyone, but he got a chance to bump into his blonde-haired subordinate about twice a day.

"So… do you wanna get some coffee?" he asked one day.

Her eyes widened, but they returned to their usual, untrusting squint once the question sunk in.

"No…Sir." She answered, "I don't drink coffee."

Arturo looked at her, "Well, I-uh… don't drink it either." He said, "I prefer tea."

She looked at him straightly. "I don't drink tea either. I prefer _boiling water_. It's the only thing you can really trust to come in, here at Briggs." She said. "And, may I have permission to speak freely, Sir?"

Arturo opened his mouth to respond, but she spoke anyway.

"I don't appreciate your attempts to flirt with me." She said, "You may be my superior officer, but that doesn't make your actions acceptable by _any _standards. You're a high ranking military officer. Start acting like one."

She walked off without another word.

Arturo smirked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

For some reason, she reminded him distinctly of another blonde that he knew, and he chuckled.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Of course, he made three other attempts before giving up.

The last time, he had seen her hand tense next to the hilt of her custom-made sword.

He knew never to mess around with women who were skilled in _any _kind of weaponry. It made for a messy-breakup that he didn't need.

It so happened that he was bringing his papers down to the mailroom, he bumped into her.

He saw her move a blonde strand of hair behind her ear, and he felt a certain heat rush across the bridge of his frozen nose.

Slightly distracted, he didn't notice that she had spoken anything to him until she was face to face with him.

She looked angry.

"Sir…" she greeted, though she seethed with a barely restrained anger.

Arturo just tilted his head like the confused "Dog of the Military" that he was.

"What can I do for you, Brigadier General?" Arturo inquired curiously.

"If you don't mind, Sir… there's something I don't understand." She said, gathering herself; her anger slowly melting into her regular, fierce tenseness.

Arturo's features softened, as he looked at her in a bemused fashion.

"Well, what is it that you don't understand? One of your assignments?" he questioned, "I'd be glad to clarify it for you."

"What I don't understand, _Sir…_" She said, "Is _why _in all of Amnestris you'd hit on _me_."

Arturo looked at her, it was his turn to be stunned, but then, unable to help it, he burst out laughing.

"I-is _that _what you want me to clarify?" he asked, still laughing and gripping his sides.

For the first time since he had met her, she looked embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"Yes." She countered defensively, "Officers around here _fear _me and are loyal to me. Yet you storm in here like some scum off the City streets and start _flirting _with me. Just _who _do you think you are? And _how _could the Fuehrer give the Lieutenant General position to someone weak and immature like _you_! Your very _presence _annoys me!"

Arturo smirked, taking several steps towards her.

"What _I _don't understand, is why people _don't_ flirt with you." Arturo muttered, giving her the usual Mustang-smirk that had won him the hearts of many a young girl, "You're beautiful, smart, tough, and you're absolutely _graceful _with your weapons. I'd say that any man would be _privileged _to be by your side, General… if you don't mind my saying, of course."

Armstrong stared at him, wide-eyed.

She fumbled for words, and slowly, a crowd of their subordinates started to gather around, relishing the first time that Brigadier General Olivier Armstrong was actually at a loss for words.

Arturo smirked, "Shall we take this somewhere more…_private?_" the Lieutenant General asked, satisfied with where this conversation was going.

She glowered at him, but after looking around, her dignity gave her no other choice than to follow him to his office.

He sat down, leaning his boots on his desk calmly, watching as she paced back and forth like a caged lion.

"So, I annoy you?" he asked, looking distinctly amused.

She quickly turned towards him, a sneer on her beautiful features.

"Yes. Very much so." She replied, turning away from him.

"You just don't like what you don't understand." Arturo replied matter-of-factly, "I know girls like you. And between us… they were always the most beautiful."

He smiled sweetly at her as she turned around, her back facing him once again.

"Don't think you're getting to me, _General_." She muttered, "I'm onto what you're trying to do, and I don't like it."

Arturo stood up, going over to her.

"All right. I'll stop then." He said nonchalantly.

She turned back to face him.

"J-just like that?" she asked, looking stunned once again.

Arturo nodded,

"Sure." He said, "I understand when to respect a woman's limits… and the military is no place for fraternization. It decreases efficiency and creates tension among the ranks."

He straightened himself haughtily, as he had so often done during important conferences with the Fuehrer. He often felt, and looked, more dignified.

Armstrong nodded in agreement.

"Yes." She said, some slight respect making its way into her ice-blue eyes, "It does."

A part of her also looked a tad disappointed, though she blinked back that emotion quite quickly.

"So," Arturo said, "shall I dismiss you and we leave this matter alone for the rest of our time together?"

Armstrong gave another nod.

"Yes, sir. I'd appreciate that." She said, "I dislike it when my subordinates don't take me seriously."

Arturo gave her the usual, Mustang-family smirk.

"That's very understandable." He agreed, "You may go."

He saluted her, and she returned it with a certain degree of a smile.

"Thank you, Sir." She said.

Arturo watched her leave, but she paused at the doorway.

He looked intrigued for a moment as she glanced over her shoulder to glance at him.

"And, the reason I have been declining your invitations to coffee, is because Northern coffee is terrible." She said.

Arturo smirked, "Well, then maybe we'll make it _tea _then." He said, "Or boiling water, as you prefer it."

She gave a smile and walked out.

~O~O~O~O~O~

They never made it official, but hot gossip amongst northern soldiers said that there were sparks flying in the icy, iron walls of Briggs fortress.

However, no one _dared _bring it up in front of either of the Generals.

As promotions were given out, Armstrong was given the position of Major General, which caused a certain degree of disruption amongst the soldiers.

"Get back to work, all of you!" rang the Major General's commanding voice, "Stop standing around!"

The men scattered, and Arturo came down the hall. His face was twisted slightly… in the way it always was when he was stifling a cough.

He never coughed in public. It showed weakness. He always stood up straight, his eyes always scanning like a hungry vulture.

It made men uneasy, but tasks were completed in a timely fashion… and that's all either of the Generals needed to know.

They enjoyed watching their soldiers' efficiency and keeping the Drachmonians on edge. Arturo smirked in that typical Mustang way, and walked down the hall without another word.

"Major General," Arturo said, as the Major General saluted him and stopped in her tracks.

"Yes, Sir?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I have some things to do; would you mind going to the meeting at 1400 for me?" Arturo asked.

The Major General nodded, "Of course." She said nodding, her face, emotionless, as usual.

Arturo smiled, squeezing her shoulder affectionately.

"Thanks." He replied, "I appreciate it."

Both officers then went their separate ways without another word.

That was the nature of their relationship, but they were content, and their careers were more important than anything else was at the moment.

Arturo went to the filing room to check up on some records.

He looked around, and as his eyes laid on the filing cabinet, he pulled the key from his pocket and opened it.

"Hmm… Monroe, Musket… ah, here it is… _Mustang_." He said to himself, with a satisfied grin.

Opening the file, he read its contents.

"Seems Roy is doing well…" he thought to himself, finding a certain degree of comfort in that fact.

As he finished replacing the file, the air caught in his throat and he began coughing harshly again.

Leaning against the wall, he slumped slowly to the ground.

It took a few moments to calm down and he covered his mouth, trying to catch his breath.

Every gasp he took sent a burning down his trachea and he winced.

Finally, after a few moments, he was able to breathe. He pulled his hand away from his face and felt a warmth drip through his fingers.

With slightly blurred vision, he glanced down and his eyes instantly dilated.

Metallic red spread across and between his fingers.

Standing up, he stuck his hand in the pocket of his uniform pants and he headed down the hospital wing.

_I can't put this off any more… I _have_ to get help…_

~O~O~O~O~O~

"I'm sorry to tell you this, Sir… but your condition has worsened." The doctor said, scanning the Lieutenant General's medical file.

Arturo eyed him suspiciously,

"How so?" he asked, "Whatever it is, just treat it and let me get outta here. I have work to –"

"You have cancer, Sir." The doctor interrupted.

Arturo paused, "Wh-what?"

"Your condition has developed into lung cancer." He said, "There's really nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

Arturo gave a deep sigh, putting his hand to his forehead, trying to understand what was going on.

"How long do I have?" he asked calmly.

"You should still have a few years, but we can't be certain." The doctor replied.

Arturo looked at him blankly.

"Nothing is _ever _certain in medicine." He muttered.

His tone was between annoyed and anxious… but both were to be expected.

The doctor nodded, "I can offer a therapist if you need one, but there's nothing we can do, except treat the symptoms." He said.

Arturo stood up, "I don't need a therapist." He assured, "But medicine for the symptoms would be great."

The doctor gave another quiet nod, "Of course. I'll write you a prescription right away."

He drew out a pad of paper, and after scribbling something on it, he handed it to Arturo who took it and stuffed it in his pocket.

"So, is that it?" Arturo inquired.

The doctor nodded, "I'm afraid so." He answered.

Arturo gave a sigh, but saluted as he walked out the door.

All he could do was wait, which was what he was going to do, until his time started to run out. The North suited him well, and keeping his condition under wraps was his plan. No one needed to know… not yet anyway.

_I have plenty of time…_ _all the time I need. _


	16. Healing Ties

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA… but I'm so sad that the manga is over…. *sobs*

_**Thicker than Rain**_

_**Chapter 14: Healing Ties**_

"_The conduct of my life has been, is, and will always be the echo and reflection of my conscience."_

_~ Arturo Toscanini_

~O~O~O~O~O~

Roy waited outside the address scribbled on the piece of paper that Arturo had given him.

Looking up at the building, then, after consulting the piece of paper once again, he stole a glance at his silver pocket-watch.

"Nope… this is the right place… I just wonder what's taking him so long… it's been half an hour…"

_The bastard is probably just trying to wait me out… that's all… stupid mind games. _

Roy then broke out into a grin.

"Maybe, if he doesn't show up, he left and we can call off this whole, stupid… 'Bonding' thing." He said to himself enthusiastically, "Wouldn't that be-"

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when a series of loud thumps ending with a final, dead, thud reached his ears.

The door of the apartment complex opened and his cousin sat at the floor of the stairs, looking stunned and in pain.

Roy's eyes widened and he instantly rushed to his cousin to try to help him up, but Arturo waved him aside.

"I'm okay…" he mumbled, obviously embarrassed, "I don't know what happened… I-I just suddenly got weak…"

He took a gasping breath and coughed loudly and violently.

"Y-you're obviously _not _all right!" Roy yelped, "You just fell down a flight of stairs!"

"I told you I'm all right!" Arturo barked, his eyes gleaming with determination, "Stop trying to put off our bet. You lost, and that's FINAL!"

The Lieutenant General stood up and winced, trying to stifle his pain with a grunt.

"Now, what do you want to do?" he asked, his tone once again calm. He looked at Roy, trying to feign that nothing happened.

Roy visibly hesitated.

"Um… well… I…" he said, fumbling for the words.

"Why don't _you _choose… since you won the bet and all…" he said finally, his mind blank.

"How 'bout we go get something to eat? You look hungry." Arturo suggested, a smug smirk, making its way onto his face.

Roy looked down at his stomach, which had started to gurgle irritably.

"All right…" he said, walking to the sidewalk, raising his hand, "I'll go hail a cab."

~O~O~O~O~O~

The ride in the cab was an awkward one. Neither officer muttered a word until they reached their destination… a local restaurant… one that they often brought their dates to, when they were younger.

"Let's get a table outside… I need the fresh air…" Arturo said, sitting down quickly in one of the cast-iron chairs.

Roy nodded, though he watched as his cousin hunched over the table, gasping for breath.

"Are you _sure _you're all right?" Roy asked, "You seem _really _sick."

Arturo shook his head,

"Don't call me that. What did I tell you about that, Roy-boy?" The General growled.

Playfully or not, Roy couldn't tell, but the waitress came over, smiled, and broke Roy's train of thought.

"What can I get for you this afternoon?" she asked, her voice pleasant, though high-pitched in tone for Arturo's liking.

"I'll just have some water, thanks." Arturo said, "I'm not that hungry today…"

Roy looked at him, and then, turning to the waitress, ordered a sandwich.

They could always share if Arturo gained his appetite back.

Not that Roy was in a _sharing _mood, of course.

"Not hungry? As far as _I _could remember, you always had a _huge _appetite." Roy chuckled.

Arturo just smirked,

"Well, you obviously don't know me that well." He said, taking a sip of his water as it was brought to the table.

Roy bobbed his head,

"Yeah… I guess…" he said, "It's been a long time since we've spent time like this." He said.

"A _very_…" he paused to cough, "Long time…"

Once Roy's food arrived, Arturo shifted in his chair.

"I'm really not hungry…" he mumbled, raising his hand once Roy offered him half.

The sight of food made Arturo's face grow slightly pale, and he took another small sip of his water.

Roy eyed his cousin. He was acting strangely…well, _stranger _than usual. He looked at his sandwich with a decree of caution and took a bite.

Nothing _seemed _out of the ordinary with it, so he just left it alone.

His cousin just watched him, almost as though he was studying every move he made.

A vein pulsed in the Colonel's head,

"_What?_" He yelped, practically slamming his hands down on the table.

Arturo looked genuinely startled at his cousin's behavior and looked at him like a confused dog.

"I didn't say anything." He replied casually.

Roy huffed,

"You didn't _have _to…" he muttered, "Whatever… never mind… I'm just tired… that's all."

He took note of the hurt expression that lined his cousin's face, and it got his mind drifting again. All he wanted was out of this place… away from the awkwardness and back in his safe office with his cousin back up North… that's not too much to ask, right?

Arturo studied him again for a moment.

"Well, finish up… I'd like to take you somewhere." He said, grinning widely.

Roy looked puzzled for a moment, as he finished his sandwich.

"Okay… let's get going…" he said.

_I wanna get whatever painful surprise is waiting for me over with…_

~O~O~O~O~O~

Arturo gave the cab driver the directions, and when they arrived, Arturo instantly sucked in as deep a breath as he could muster without coughing.

He went to lean against the railing, which overlooked the water bordering Central city. Their mother's bar was only a few miles away.

Roy took a quick glance around. He couldn't help but feel slightly familiar

"Do you remember coming down here when we were kids?" Arturo asked suddenly.

Roy didn't respond for a moment, as he needed a moment to ponder… but nothing came to him… but the look on his cousin's face made him _want_ to remember.

"Yeah." He lied slightly, "I remember."

Arturo turned to look at him fully,

"I don't think so…" he said, "Or you don't _want _to remember."

Roy didn't respond… something didn't feel right… but he couldn't put his finger on it. He was so focused, that he didn't hear his cousin's words.

Arturo tensed slightly when Roy didn't respond, but only stood silently, looking out as far as he could.

A cold breeze rushed past them, and Roy shivered. Arturo just stood, lifted his head and smiled, enjoying the familiar chill.

_It's nowhere __near __up North, but it's close enough._ He thought fondly with a soft smile.

More silence passed between them as Arturo tried to come up with different conversation starters. All he wanted to do was talk… That's all he wanted…

Nevertheless, he couldn't help it if Roy didn't listen… _that _was out of his control.

Roy just continued to brood as he leaned against the railing, trying to follow his cousin's gaze… but nothing seemed to catch his eye. It was just familiar surroundings, nothing special. His cousin had just been away for too long…

_I guess they don't have too much scenery up north…_

Roy continued looking forward, stealing a side-ways glance in his cousin's direction every few seconds, but the older man kept his gaze forward, as if waiting for some long-lost lover to return to him… but Roy simply knew this wasn't the case… or, not that he _knew _anyway.

"You _wanted _to spend time with me... why is that?" Roy asked, "Why couldn't you just leave me alone… to mind my own business and live my own life? I don't understand why _every time _I see you, my life is being flipped upside down…"

He gave an exasperated sigh.

"Because I really don't need the stress… _trust_ me." He added as an afterthought.

Arturo turned back to him, his face emotionless and pale.

"I know you don't, Roy. I know." He said simply, "I just like screwing around with you. You should know that by now."

Roy gave a huff.

_Yeah, no freakin' kidding…_

But as his cousin turned back to gaze at the water, Roy couldn't help but notice a tinge of a smirk lining his cousin's face.

Roy eyed his cousin skeptically. He was being _too _friendly for his liking… but he wasn't about to let his guard down… no… He was too smart for that.

He wasn't about to fall for his tricks again…

_Fool me once, shame on you… fool me twice, shame on me_…

That's how it goes, right? Except there was no response for countless times, unfortunately.

"You used to come here when we had an argument." Arturo said, "Do you remember that?"

Roy looked up, thrown off by the question. It was such an odd thing to remember, yet it seemed familiar and warm. He tried to think of it, but he shook his head, coming up with nothing.

"No… I don't… I don't remember too much from before Ishb-"

Roy paused, as a pained expression shot over his cousin's face and he broke into another violent coughing fit.

Things got awkward again, and Roy shifted uncomfortably.

"Well… maybe I remember _one _thing…" He said, trying to break the negative silence and humor his cousin.

Arturo turned to look at him expectantly.

Roy broke into a grin, almost forgetting that his cousin was there.

"I remember… Mom was there, and she had sent you to get milk from the marketplace. I tagged along with you…"

"You brought Mr. Momo too." Arturo reminded him.

Roy gave a laugh,

"Yeah, I did. But by the time we got there, they were all out. It was winter, I recall… We were so worried that mom was going to be angry at the milk, we asked for a big, empty cup. We filled it with snow from outside. Both were white, so we hoped that she didn't notice…" Roy laughed, "And, you know mom… of course she found out… she called us idiots and was about to send us out, until we got water _all over _her new wooden floor. God, she was so mad at us…"

Arturo also laughed, but broke off coughing again.

When he was finally able to get his breath again, he beamed.

"Yeah… it took quite a while for us to get it completely dry… between the floorboards was the hardest part, I remember… and the splinters were _terrible._" He added.

Roy nodded,

"Yeah, they sure were…" he said.

He smiled.

For the first time since the war's aftermath, he smiled at his cousin.

Maybe he wasn't so bad after all… if he kept this up, they _might _be able to get along.

At the strike of that thought, Roy's stomach instantly sank.

They _might've _been able to get along… Up until now, Roy hadn't even _considered _the option.

"Um… Hey, Artie?" Roy asked shamefully, afraid to look his cousin in the eyes.

Arturo looked at his young relative.

"Yeah, Roy?" he asked, looking at him, for the first time in a while, with a _kindness_ that Roy hadn't even _thought _could be in his cousin's eyes… and it only made his stomach sink further.

"I-I just wanted to… um, well… I just wanted to say I-I'm…"

Roy was about to open his mouth when his cousin broke into another coughing fit and collapsed to the ground, blood seeping through his fingers.

"ARTURO!" Roy cried out, falling to his knees to try and catch his older cousin.

Flashbacks of him screaming out for Riza as he caught his master… the same blood everywhere and the same panicking feeling that rushed through him; it was all too familiar… but last time, things didn't end well… he lost someone important to him, and he wasn't about to do that now.

He screamed for help once again… because that's all he could do…

God, once again, he felt so _damn useless_.

~O~O~O~O~O~

The Lieutenant General was rushed to the hospital and as Roy watched him be rushed into the emergency room, he was afraid to go in.

For the first time in a while, he felt ashamed and unworthy.

He had treated his cousin so poorly these past years… and all because he couldn't handle a few jokes…

He clenched his fists. Every time he was about to enter the room where his cousin was recovering, he'd chicken out and take another lap around the waiting room.

But as he was waiting, it wasn't long before Hawkeye rushed in.

"I-is he all right?" the Lieutenant asked, practically breathless.

Roy looked at her, stunned for a moment, but he shrugged stiffly.

"I-I don't know." He said, "the doctor didn't tell me anything… he just- collapsed… blood was _everywhere_."

The Colonel shuddered and looked at Hawkeye, whose face fell instantly.

"Just like my father…" she said painfully.

Roy's jaw stiffened and he nodded quietly, suddenly feeling extremely guilty.

_I'm just __spreading __the pain today, aren't I? _

He tried to make it up to her in an _extremely _feeble attempt.

"B-but your father was sick for a long time, right?" He asked, "Arturo wasn't sick… well, not beyond a usual cough, but… nothing ever serious like this, right?"

Riza looked at him uncomfortably.

"There are a lot of things you didn't know about him, Sir." She said, her voice was practically a whisper, "But your cousin… The Lieutenant General… he's been sick since Ishbal…. Th-that's why he was sent home."

Roy's eyes widened,

"H-he told me that he got to go home earlier, because he _outranked_ me!" Roy said harshly, "And my cousin pulled _plenty _of strings in the military… he-he's almost as corrupt as the rest of those Upper ranked officers!"

The glare that Riza shot him was as sharp and stinging as the bullets that came out of her military-issued rifles.

"No, he wasn't, Sir… and I would suggest you treat your cousin better." She said.

Roy looked back in the direction of the emergency room and realized that she was right… as usual.

"And why aren't you in that room with him?" Riza questioned once again, "You should be by his side… making sure he's all right!"

Roy turned away from her, unable to find any more words… his throat was suddenly dry, and he felt the urge to cough himself.

Hawkeye gave a sigh,

"Just call your mother, and I'll go in to see how he's doing." She said, "All right, Sir?"

Roy just nodded dumbly and went to find a payphone.

~O~O~O~O~O~

As the Lieutenant walked into the room, a loud, mechanical breathing sound that reminded her of those strange adventure novels by her father's favorite fiction author, Julian Verne.

Something about the sound made her feel timid, but she walked in anyway.

In the center of the room laid the Lieutenant General… the usual, strong-looking officer was now pale and deathly faced.

She looked over the room, and pulled over a chair to sit next to his side, her eyes focused on the breathing apparatus that sat next to his bed like a moving gremlin. Her mind seemed to concentrate on it, but a shifting in Arturo's hospital bed drew her attention.

The ill General's eyes fluttered open and he took a panicky glance around the room.

"Wh-where am I a-and where's Roy?" he gasped out as his hand feebly reaching for the button, so he could sit himself up.

Riza leaned over and carefully helped him sit up. She then delicately put a hand on his to comfort him.

"You're in the Central City Hospital… and Roy is outside calling your mother right now." She said gently, "He'll be in soon."

Arturo took another wary glance around the room, looking almost frightened about where he was, but hearing that Roy would be in soon seemed to comfort him a great deal.

Arturo then focused on Riza and gave a gentle smile.

"I'm glad you're here." He said, "It's always...a pleasant experience to…wake up to an angel…by your side."

Riza closed her eyes and smiled.

A knocking on the door drew both their attentions, and Roy stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"Come in." Arturo said, his voice still weak, as he breathed into the respirator.

Roy nodded and walked in, standing behind Riza.

"How are you feeling?" the Colonel inquired, his eyes softened.

Arturo just leaned back in his cot, his breaths shallow to keep from coughing.

"I've been better…" he muttered.

He coughed again, the respirator's mask became speckled with blood.

Roy winced every time he coughed, and he gripped the back of Riza's chair.

"Mom'll be here in a few minutes… she's on her way right now." He said.

Arturo nodded, and leaned back against the raised back of his hospital bed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, but Arturo was the one to break the silence.

He was never one for awkward silences.

"You look nervous Roy… like you want to ask me something." He said, looking up at his cousin, "What is it?"

"I didn't say anything." The younger Mustang replied, "I-"

Arturo gave a quiet smile.

"I know you, Roy…" he said, "You have a _lot _of questions to ask… you were ever the studious, curious cat… always needing to _know _about _everything_… You're also an Alchemist."

Roy looked confused, but he nodded.

Arturo glanced at the Lieutenant.

"I'm sorry Riza… but would you excuse us for a second? There's something very important I need to tell Roy… but when our mother comes, please, let her in." he said.

The Lieutenant nodded and stood up.

Arturo smiled, watching her.

She paused in the doorway and gave him a salute, snapping her feet together and her left arm snapping at her side.

Arturo weakly returned the salute, but as he smiled, he motioned for her to come forward. As she did, he pulled her into an embrace, and then, without another word between them, she walked out.

Arturo settled himself again, then looked up.

"You never did forgive me for my last name," he said, shutting off the respirator and removing the mask.

Roy's eyes widened,

"Hey! Put that back on!" he yelped, practically lunging for the button.

Arturo grabbed Roy's wrist tightly, like a python.

"I can leave it off for a few moments…" he said, "It's uncomfortable anyway, and extremely unflattering, so don't change the subject."

The Lieutenant General gave a grimace as he stifled another bout of coughing, and continued with the conversation.

"'Mustang' wasn't my original last name, Roy." Arturo started, "When our folks died in that fire, and mom… our aunt, took us in, I took her name… I took her name for _you_, Roy. So we wouldn't be like cousins!"

He gasped for air, but held up his hand, motioning for Roy to stay put.

"Cousins…are often distant… never getting to see each other… but we were closer than that, Roy… we were like _brothers_… after all those years of living on the street, mom provided us with a family… and that's what we were…. We were brothers." Arturo said, finally breaking into a fit of hysterical coughing.

_That's what we were…_

Roy, who had taken Riza's place in the chair, leaned forward.

"And we still can be! With mom's help, and Riza being there, we can-"

Arturo cut him off.

"Roy… I don't know what the Lieutenant told you, but you're a big boy now, and I can stop hiding things from you…" he said, "Besides… we had such pleasant day, I think you deserve everything I can give you…"

"Stop talking like that!" Roy said angrily, "You sound like you're dying or something!"

Arturo gave his cousin a blunt look.

"That's because I _am_… I've been dying for months…" he said, "But I had to see you at least one more time… and clear things up with the Major General… Yeah Roy… there's a reason she really dislikes you, and it's _not _your quest to become Fuehrer."

Roy shook his head in disbelief.

"B-but… why didn't you _tell _me?" He asked, his eyes blurring with tears, "I-I would've helped you if you told me you were _dying!"_

Arturo chuckled,

"I know… but I needed to help the man I wanted to become Fuehrer." He said, "I don't believe that giving him _more _obstacles to worry about would benefit him any…"

Roy's jaw dropped.

_The man he was talking about… the person he wanted as Fuehrer… that was…__me__… _

"I-I…b-but… _why_?" Roy asked, "I thought _you _were the one who wanted to be Fuehrer...that I was always competing against _you _for the position!"

"What would I need with it?" Arturo asked, "I'm dying… there's nothing else I really needed to live for, except to see you succeed in ways I couldn't… but all you needed was _time _and some good people to back you up… Who do you _think _assigned you your team? Hmm? It sure wasn't Bradley."

"B-but, what about your _alchemy_?" Roy pleaded, "You haven't finished it yet! An alchemist can't die without finishing their research! Hawkeye Sensei even said that!"

Arturo's eyes gleamed with a sudden sharpness.

"But I _did _finish my alchemy, Roy." He said, "A _long time ago_."

The words stung Roy harshly… the same words his sensei uttered before _his _death.

That silenced him… and Roy found himself without anything to say… he just wiped his eyes and listened to his cousin speak.

_I can't believe it… I owe him __everything__… my __team__…my __position__… even my relationship with __Riza__… _

Roy opened his mouth to speak, but Arturo raised his hand to silence him.

"Look Roy, there's no need to apologize or thank me… I want you to do _three_ things for me." He said, "First of all… I want you to take care of Riza… I know you already promised _one _alchemist this, but I want you to promise again. She's a good girl, and she's like my little sister… you screw her over, and I'm gonna be pissed. Second of all… I want you to keep up with your dreams… that means _doing your paperwork_ and stop being a whiny bitch. You'll _never _be Fuehrer if you keep acting like that… it's inefficient and makes you look weak. And the last thing… is that I want you to take care of Mr. Momo… Treasure him, for Pete's sake, because I risked my _ass _to get that monkey. Oh, and don't forget to take care of Mom, okay? That's another thing I want you to do."

"But Mr. Momo went missing _years _ago!" Roy argued, "_You _told me that!"

Arturo broke into a smirk and chuckled.

"I _lied_." He said simply, "Mom still has him, along with your embarrassing holiday photos."

Roy's face fell, but he gave an obedient nod, showing his understanding.

"I promise… _all _of them, Arturo…" he said, a tear making its way down his cheek.

Arturo gave a sigh.

"What did I _just _tell you about being a whiny bitch? Tears count in this, okay?" Arturo muttered, "Geez, do I _have _to write it out for you? Don't you know that people of Xing _always _keep their promises?"

Roy wiped his face with the back of his hand, trying to force a smile.

Arturo leaned back in his cot, satisfied with the gesture.

"Good… now, I'm getting really tired… I think I'm done talking for now… Would you mind if I took a rest?" he asked, blinking tiredly.

Roy looked reluctant, squeezing his cousin's hand.

"No… go ahead…" Roy choked out, "It was good seeing you, Artie… have a great rest."

Arturo returned the squeeze of his cousin's hand, and closed his eyes… starting his journey into the eternal rest.

Roy bit his lip, as he felt a hand on his shoulder and the familiar smell of perfume fill the room.

"H-he's gone, Mom…" he whimpered, "I-I can't believe it…"

Madame Christmas looked down at him,

"I know, Roy-boy, I know… but remember what you promised him." She said, tears pouring down her own face, "You have to keep moving on."

Roy nodded in understanding.

Riza made her way over to Roy, pulling him into an embrace.

"I'm so sorry…" she whispered to him.

Roy hugged her,

"I know… but you don't owe me any apologies…" he said, "You of _all _people don't owe me an apology."

He buried his face into her hair, and he just stood there… not knowing what else to do.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Things were a bit difficult, but Roy went to work the next day, despite his loss. He knew that Arturo wouldn't want him to take off from work… and it would go against the promise he made anyway.  
"Sir, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Roy looked up from the document he was signing to see Lieutenant Hawkeye saluting him at the front of his desk.

"Of course, Lieutenant, what is it?" he asked.

"It's a private matter, Sir." She said, "If I could confer with you _alone_…"

Roy put his pen down and gave a nod.

"Of course, Lieutenant." He said, following her out the door.

Once they found a quiet corner to have their discussion, Riza reached into her jacket and handed him an old, leather book.

Roy eyed it suspiciously.

"Wh-what is this?" he asked, looking up at her, puzzled.

"The Lieutenant General want you to have this after his passing." She said, "I promised him that I'd give it to you… it's his _alchemy_."

Roy opened it, shocked and flipped open the book.

Scrawled all over the line-covered pages were all different symbols… dots with tails hanging from them, connected to other dots by curved lines. The names of musical instruments scribbled along the margins and all sorts of other things that were foreign to Roy.

"But I can't _read _music!" Roy whined, but some writing caught his eye.

It was written on the back cover with black ink.

"_Dear Roy,_

_I know you can't read music, but I felt that I wouldn't want anyone else to have these secrets, but you. I know you'll be able to uncover it… but if you can't, you're dumber than I thought… but if all else fails, I suggest you ask that Edward boy… he seems like a really smart kid. I bet __he'd __be able to figure it out! _

_Your cousin and Superior Officer, _

_Lieutenant General Arturo Ligue."_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Sometime in the Future))

"I don't understand it, Lieutenant."

Hawkeye looked at him curiously.

"Well Sir… your cousin _did _have lung cancer… he was going to pass on at some point." She said solemnly.

"No, no… not _that_, Lieutenant." Roy corrected.

Hawkeye tilted her head to the side.

"Then, what is it, Sir?" she inquired, "What are you _talking _about?"

"I mean, I'm _finally _victorious over the bastard, but he _has _to go and ruin it by making me feel like a piece of shit!" Roy accused, "How is _that _Equivalent Exchange?"

Hawkeye gave a sigh,

"Well, I _doubt _that was his intention, Sir." She said, "He only meant well after all."

He turned to her with tear-filled eyes,

"I know, Lieutenant…" he said, "I know…"

A crack of thunder boomed overhead, and both military officers glanced up.

"It looks like rain." Hawkeye observed, "Would you like me to get your umbrella?"

Roy shook his head,

"No… it's all right." He said, wiping his eyes, "I'm coming."

He gave her a smile, reaching for her hand.

"Good… because I'm sure your cousin would be very proud of you, Sir." She said.

Roy gave a sad smile,

"I know." He said, "I only wish he was here to _see _this."

Two men in dark suits met Roy as he walked back towards the car.

"Fuehrer Mustang, has everything been taken care of?" one of them asked.

"Yes… everything is fine." He said calmly, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Sir, are you coming? The children are getting impatient." Hawkeye said, as she stepped carefully into the car.

Roy nodded,

"Of course, Riza… I'm coming." He said, getting into the car.

He gave one more smile, and snapped his fingers… his eyes focusing on the blue wisps of gentle electricity that swirled around them.

_Don't worry, Artie… I got you covered. I'm not afraid of the rain anymore. _

_**((THE END))**_

((A/N: Thank you everyone for sticking with me until the end of this fic! I just wanted to say, that I dedicate this fic to my younger brother, Brandon… because he really puts up with everything I dish out at him. Anyway, what do you guys think? I'm curious? Love it? Hate it? Your words mean a lot to me! Thanks again for reading!))


End file.
